IRRITATION f
by Sharnhorst
Summary: STORY COMPLETEDEvy's cousin Charlotte goes to Egypt with them for an adventure, and gets more than she expected when she meets Ardeth Bay!
1. Default Chapter

**IRRITATION**

Disclaimer:- ©Ardeth Bay, Rick, Evelyn and Alex O'Connell, Jonathan Carnahan, Imhotep, the Med-jai themselves and the entire concept belong to Stephen Sommers & Universal. I am merely borrowing the idea and expanding on a small but important part of it, namely Ardeth! Apparently I don't own him or the rest of them. But I do own everyone else! So there! 

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**PROLOGUE**

Ardeth Bay sat on the beautiful, elegant black horse and narrowed his eyes as he scanned the endless terrain of sandy dunes and distant peaks. He barely felt the heat anymore, not after more than thirty years of living in this harsh, unforgiving land. His turban helped keep the worst of the sun off the top of his head and he had a healthy respect for what the fierce heat could do to anyone who ignored its power. His full lips curved into a reluctant smile as he thought of some of the more hapless westerners he had saved from the desert over the years. That thought brought him back to his current mission and he focused on the sands again, watching the tiny figures of human beings making their way toward Hamunaptra. 

The Med-jai had been aware of their movements since they had left Cairo two days ago and knew that they were ill-prepared for such a journey, their provisions barely enough for half of them. In all there were about ten people. Two men who appeared to be the leaders of the little expedition, seven local inhabitants who had been hired as carriers and diggers and one woman. She was the one who confused Ardeth and, for that matter, all the Med-jai. 

She appeared to have no role to play in the expedition at all. From what he had observed she was largely ignored and, when she was spoken to or confronted in any way, she seemed to shrink back from whoever spoke to her. Once he had seen one of the men strike her and he had forced himself to remain at a distance, gritting his teeth in anger. It was the act of a coward to strike a helpless female as one would a man, especially in his custom. 

The woman wore a head covering at all times, a deep, dark green, completely obscuring her features from his view. She was small, by the looks of it, cloaked and veiled as she was, she appeared to be a good deal smaller than the men. The way she was treated he could assume that she was to be a sacrifice, but there seemed little further evidence to lend any weight to that theory. She was not tied in any way and, being ignored as she was, she rode at the back of everyone else and had ample opportunity to attempt an escape. He pursed his full lips thoughtfully. No, she was a mystery. There would be time to figure her out once they had attacked their camp, because he would not take the life of a woman unless the woman first tried to kill him or proved to be a risk to his life's duty. 

Turning his horse away from the cliff edge that overlooked the lost city he made his way back to the other Med-jai standing watch with him. It would be a mere two hours before the sun set and then they would attack, when night was upon them and the expedition was at it's most vulnerable. In the meantime, all they could do was wait. 

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**CHAPTER ONE**

Rick O'Connell blearily opened his eyes and stared at the small fat child who had been dumped on his chest. He groaned as the pudgy little two year old girl grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged, squealing with laughter as he became a monster for her, roaring at her and trying to eat her stomach. 

"Good morning sweetheart!" Evy chirped happily as she turned Alex in front of the mirror to examine his new school clothes. Alex was twelve now and was looking very disgruntled at the way Evy was fussing over him. 

"Mum, stop it...Mum!" he moaned, as she turned him again and adjusted his new blazer. 

"I wouldn't bother arguing with her son, you know she always wins. Just let her have her way and get it over with," Rick told him wisely, shooting her a butter wouldn't melt look. 

"I just want him to look smart for his new school, that's all!" Evy fussed, standing back and examining her son with a critical eye. Alex was going off that afternoon to his new school. It was a boarding school and, although Rick had been dubious about it at first, he had soon admitted that it wasn't the usual stuffy public school that the English seemed to favour. In fact, of all the pupils he had actually met, he was surprised to find that they were all normal and affectionate youngsters. Alex would fit in well and it was really about time he had a little more discipline. Besides, they had a dig in Egypt that would keep them busy for the next two months and Rick had been emphatic about Alex not going with them. He didn't want his son put in any danger, not anymore. Evy had surprisingly agreed with him, the first time it had happened for quite a while. Rick frowned at that. In fact, Alex had been only too happy to go along with it all as well, he thought, puzzled. That wasn't like his family. Still, never look a gift horse in the mouth. 

His eyes turned back to his daughter, still bouncing happily on his chest, knocking the air out of him with every move. She looked just like Evy, which he decided was a very good thing. Elizabeth Tambalyn O'Connell, known as Libby to everyone who had met her, had dark, curly hair that had only just reached her shoulders, and mischievous eyes, blue like his, but shaped like Evy's. He would have to keep an eye on her when she got older because she had all the makings of a real heartbreaker. 

She was to go with them to Egypt, but she would be in the care of a nanny and a hired bodyguard at all times. Neither Rick nor Evy would take any chances with her safety, but they had wanted to show her off to Ardeth Bay as he had never seen her. They hadn't seen their desert friend since Evy had been midway through her pregnancy, when he had suddenly appeared on their doorstep in London bearing a gift for the unborn child. How he had known she was pregnant was anyone's guess, but Evy and Rick had been overjoyed to see him, especially as it had just been for a normal visit, nothing dangerous or deadly. His gift had been a handmade gold bracelet, small enough for a child to wear, engraved with the marks of the Med-jai. He had told them that it would protect her from danger and mark her as one of his people always, a westerner that his people would be glad to watch over, as were the rest of the O'Connell-Carnahan clan. It hadn't been until Libby had been born that they realised Ardeth had always referred to the unborn child as female. 

Now they would finally be able to meet with him again, if they could find him, when they arrived in Cairo to stay in the large house they had purchased on the outskirts of the city. Evy couldn't wait. Her cousin Charlotte was going to meet her there with her little brother William on their very first trip to Egypt. Evy hadn't seen them for years, not since Alex had been a toddler, although they wrote to each other as often as possible and Charlotte had shown great interest in Evy's exploits. In her last letter Evy had suggested that they join them for their trip since Charlotte didn't seem to get much time to herself. 

Her parents, Evy's aunt and step-uncle, had died a year ago, leaving Charlotte with a big house, lots of money and the care of her four year old brother. Evy had never met him, but she was sure he would make a perfect playmate for Libby. Rick had been a bit more dubious as he had only met Charlotte twice and found her extremely quiet. He hadn't had much chance to get to know her because she seemed so timid, but Evy thought it was about time that the situation was rectified. 

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One week later Evy carried Libby into the beautiful large house they now owned, staring happily at the pillars that graced the entrance and continued on through the hall. The floor was made of marble, and the walls were the colour of sandstone, warm and inviting. Wood decorated many of the surfaces and a large sweeping staircase curved to the upper floor, where an open gallery overlooked the hall. It was not as large as their London home, but Evy would have been happy to live there forever. As usual it was filled with artefacts, objects that Evy and Rick had collected over their years as explorers and even a few items that Jonathan had obtained and reluctantly let them have instead of selling them. 

Evy smiled when she thought of Rick's reaction to the news that Jonathan would be joining them. He had started stomping about and yelling and Jonathan had made a hasty exit from their room, leaving Evy to calm him down. Which had been quite easy. All she had to do was grab him and kiss him, it worked almost every time, depending on how much passion she could pour into the kiss. After a few seconds she had him agreeing to anything she wanted and he hadn't even been in any condition to get angry at her smug expression. Evy cleared her throat and wondered at her ability to still be able to blush when she thought about what he had been in the right condition for! 

Rick followed her into the cool confines of the house and caught the faint flush of colour that made her face even prettier, his lips curving into a knowing smile. "And what, exactly, are you blushing for?" he whispered casually into her ear, one arm snaking around her waist from behind and pulling her back against his tall body. She reluctantly smiled as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "Nothing that you need to know about!" 

"Mmm-hmm. Sure about that?" he teased, bending to give her a light kiss that was interrupted by a small fat hand grabbing his bottom lip. 

"Libby! Be careful of daddy, sweetheart," Evy said softly, gently prying the small hand open so that Rick could rub his sore lip. 

"She's worse than you," he said, giving the little girl a mock glare before responding to her invitation to hold her by stretching out her arms to him. He lifted her high in the air and then hugged her to him, one hand ruffling her mop of curls. 

Evy watched father and daughter play together and felt a warm curl of happiness move inside her stomach. She was well aware of how lucky she was. 

A round lady came bustling out of the kitchen and beamed when she saw them, rushing to greet them. Tilly had hired Maria in London, loving the fact that the large Italian lady was an excellent cook and could run a house with her eyes closed. The fact that she also spoke about seven different languages, including Arabic, had persuaded her that she would be the perfect housekeeper. 

"Maria! It's so good to see you again," she said and received a hug from the warm, motherly woman. 

"And you, Mrs O'Connell. How was your trip?" 

"Lovely, very relaxing. Is Charlotte here yet?" 

The woman nodded and snapped some orders in Arabic to the few waiting employees, directing them to take the luggage up to the appropriate rooms. "She arrived yesterday with her little brother. Such a beautiful child, young Elizabeth here will get on well with him!" 

"I'm sure she will. Where are they now?" 

"Why, they went exploring early this morning. I sent Amir with them for protection," she looked up at the grandfather clock that stood at one end of the hallway. "I told them to be back in time for lunch, but that was an hour ago and still they have not returned." She shrugged and smiled. "I am sure they have just become too involved in the sights of Cairo to return early!" 

Evy smiled and nodded in agreement. "I expect so. After all, she's never been here before and I remember exactly what it feels like to discover a place so ancient and historical for the first time! I'm sure they'll be back soon!" 

"I hope so. I hope nothing bad has happened to them. Cairo can be a dangerous place for a woman alone and if Amir let them out of his sight…" Maria tailed off. 

Evy frowned. "He wouldn't though, would he?" 

Maria shook her head and gave a reassuring smile. "I am sure he would not, but Miss Charlotte seems a little...headstrong. She may have wandered off. Never fear, you can trust Amir, I am sure!" 

Evy relaxed a little, and joined Rick as Jonathan walked in the front door, the three of them taking Libby upstairs for a well-needed nap. Evy wondered about Maria's description of Charlotte as being headstrong but shrugged it off. She must be mistaken, she thought, because Charlotte was anything but headstrong. 

Had Evy been able to see what had really happened to her cousin, however, there would have been no rest for anyone. 

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	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Charlotte Carnahan had arrived in Cairo on the previous morning and had stepped off the boat with relief. She had spent the journey with her head buried in a large bowl, emptying her stomach contents with alarming regularity at the hated motion of the ship. She had never travelled before and, now that she had, she realised how lucky she had been. Next time she would find a plane carrying cargo to this part of the world and hitch a ride on that instead, she decided. Knowing her luck she would be sick on that as well, but at least the journey would be vastly shorter. Her little brother William, known as Billy unless he was being naughty, had been very grown up about the whole thing, even rubbing her back on occasion. Luckily, there had been a kindly couple in the next cabin who had taken care of him when they found out how ill she was and they would have her eternal gratitude once she returned to the land of the living. 

For now, all she wanted to do was get to Evy's house and die in peace, with no-one knocking on her door and asking how she was in between bouts of vomiting. Sleep would be a welcome relief. There were a few ancient looking cars dotted along the port, the word Taxi written haphazardly on boards tied to rusty doors. Well, however much they would cost, it would be worth it. She raised a hand to one particularly eager looking man and smiled as he rushed over and asked how he could help her, his English broken but understandable. She gave him the address and valiantly tried to help load the luggage on the car with him, but he motioned her into the back of the car and told her to rest, she looked 'very much like the chalk'. She supposed he meant pale, but that was close enough. 

Not too much time passed as they travelled through the narrow streets of Cairo, Charlotte taking in all the quaint houses and market stalls, hotels and what appeared to be brothels as they passed them. When they pulled up outside a large house she was almost asleep, the motion of the car welcome after the rolling motion of the ship. Before she knew what was happening a group of young men had surrounded the car and taken her luggage indoors and she was pulled out of the vehicle and into the embrace of a large, greying woman. 

"I am most pleased to meet you, cara. Mrs O'Connell has told me so much about you!" the woman said, beaming infectiously. "And this must be the young master William, such a beautiful bambino! Come, Miss Charlotte, follow me, you must be exhausted! I am Maria." 

"I'm pleased to meet you and yes, I am tired. I was a little ill on the journey, I'm afraid," she said, understating the sickness she had suffered. 

"You poor child. Come, come, we will make you all better!" 

She had allowed the older woman to virtually take her over, finding herself tucked into bed for the first time since she was a child and actually enjoying the pampering. The day passed incredibly quickly whilst Charlotte did little else but sleep and eat when food was placed under her nose, pleased to find that her stomach held the food quite comfortably now she was on land again. That evening she made her way downstairs and explored the house and gardens, surprised and delighted at how green and lush the grounds were. She had somehow expected the gardens surrounding the house to be as dusty and dry as the desert, but they were full of blooms and shrubs, some of which she had never seen before. 

Maria joined her, a man wearing dark robes following her. He bowed respectfully and she gave him a hesitant smile which he returned, his eyes seemingly transfixed by her long, curly blonde hair and brown eyes, an unusual combination even in England. Charlotte was equally fascinated by him, wondering at the odd tattoos that seemed to be all over his face, his cheeks, forehead and even his chin decorated with the ornate designs. 

"Miss Charlotte, this is Amir. He was hired by the O'Connells to be a guard here, in case of any trouble. If you want to explore tomorrow then he will accompany you," Maria said as they wandered into the house. Billy came barrelling out of the house and ran smack into Amir, falling back on his bottom as he rebounded off the tall man. His face crumpled as he hit the floor and Amir instantly picked him up and cuddled him, obviously extremely comfortable around small children. Billy stopped sniffling almost straight away and leaned back to get a look at the tall man who was staring intently at his small face. Billy had the same colouring as she did, the hair and eyes the same as their late mother's. The little boy examined the face of the Arab and smiled slowly, his hand reaching out innocently to trace the strange markings on his face. 

"Your face needs a wash," his voice piped up and he giggled as the man grinned at him. 

"These marks are not dirt, child, they are the signs of a warrior." 

"What's a woryer?" 

Charlotte spoke up before Amir could. "A warrior," she corrected him. "It's like a soldier, Billy." She turned her attention to Amir. "Are you a soldier then?" 

He nodded. "In a sense yes, I am a soldier." 

Her eyes narrowed. "In a sense? So you're not really a soldier? What are..." 

Maria cut her off. "Come, come, Miss Charlotte. It's time to eat and I have prepared a beautiful meal for you and the bambino," she said, taking Charlotte's arm and distracting her from any more questioning. She knew all about the Med-jai, but it was obvious that Charlotte didn't and she wasn't sure if the O'Connells wanted her to know about them. Come to that, she wasn't even sure if the Med-jai themselves wanted her to know. It should be left up to the O'Connells to tell her. 

Charlotte let Maria lead her indoors and into the dining room, but she kept looking back at Amir who was following with William, questions trembling on the tip of her tongue. Maria shook her head. Another headstrong English girl, she thought and tutted loudly as she seated her at the table and went off to fetch the food. 

The next morning Charlotte was up almost as soon as the sun started flooding in through the curtain, rummaging through her wardrobe to find something suitable to wear in the intense heat. She finally chose a long green skirt and matching loose blouse, fastening a wide black belt around her middle. The material was perfectly decent but also gauzy and cool. Along with the large hat with its huge gauzy scarf, she felt she looked decent enough and would also remain fairly unaffected by the sun. At least, she hoped. 

She rushed along the landing to William's room and found the little boy already sitting up in bed and staring with excitement at the view from his window. "Ready to get dressed and go explore?" she asked him, grabbing his little body and lifting him up. 

"Can we go and see the primids?" he asked eagerly. 

"The pyramids, yes," she said, correcting him. "But first we have to get you dressed and feed you, okay?" 

He nodded and gave her his dubious help in selecting an outfit. Soon they were sitting downstairs in the kitchen with Maria, much to the woman's outrage. 

"You should be sitting in the dining room, not in the kitchen like servants!" she admonished, but Charlotte merely smiled. 

"Don't be silly, this is much nicer than that huge dining room. It feels more like a family room." 

That seemed to please Maria and she placed the most enormous breakfast Charlotte had ever seen on the table in front of her. "I can't eat all of that!" she exclaimed, staring at the mountain of food. 

"You will eat as much as you can. You are too thin, you English girls. You need to put some weight on those hips!" she said and placed another large plate in front of William, who had no trouble at all dealing with the food. 

Charlotte valiantly tried to eat the monster breakfast, but had barely made a dent in it when she felt incredibly full. "I'm sorry, Maria. I did try, but..." 

Maria tut-tutted and took the plate away, calling for Amir as she busied herself clearing up. The tall Arab strode into the room a few seconds later, and Charlotte gasped at the sight of him. Yesterday he had been in dark robes, but today he seemed to have extra layers on top of them and also a dark turban. But what had shocked her were the two large curved swords resting at his hips and the leather gun belt that criss-crossed his chest and looped around his waist. 

"Please, do not fear. These are for protection and I wear them always when I am...on duty," he said hesitantly, as if searching for the right term. Charlotte nodded and picked her hat up from the table, taking the small fedora style hat she had found for Billy and placing it on his head. "I hope you don't mind accompanying me today? I mean, if there's anything else you have to do, then don't let me keep you. We'll be fine on our own I'm sure..." 

"No, Miss Charlotte," he said, addressing her in the same manner with which Maria did. "Cairo can be dangerous for a woman alone, especially for a woman of your colouring I fear. I have nothing more pressing to do today than to accompany you, do not trouble yourself." 

Charlotte nodded and gave him another tentative smile, ushering Billy out of the house in front of her, aware as the day wore on of the stares they were receiving because of their companion. 

Maria had warned them to be back in time for lunch because Evy and Rick would be arriving shortly thereafter, and Charlotte had reluctantly agreed. As it neared that time, she turned to Amir to say that they should make their way back when her eyes were caught by a flash of metal next to him. Before he had time to react a large man wearing dirty robes had smashed him around the head with the butt of a gun and he fell to the ground unconscious. Charlotte had no chance to even scream, a large hand coming around her from behind and fastening over her mouth, lifting her small frame easily and dragging her back down a dark alleyway. Her frantic eyes looked around for William and found him being held by yet another man, this one obviously a westerner. They were taken through a doorway and virtually thrown into the corner, Charlotte gathering her sobbing brother against her side and trying to comfort him as best she could in her own shaken condition. 

The man who had lifted her stepped into the dim light coming in from a partially covered window and she saw that he, too, was not an Arab. 

"Hello Miss Carnahan," the taller of the two men said, crouching down in front of her and smiling. 

"How...how do you know my name? Who are you?" 

"My name is Peter Hall, Miss Carnahan, and my colleague there," he nodded to the other man, "is Philip Stewart. As you can tell, we're both English and we're here in Egypt on a very special mission." 

She stared warily at them and wondered what on earth they were going to do to them. "Why have you brought us here?" 

"We need to use you in a little ceremony, Miss Carnahan. May I call you Charlotte? Good," he said, not bothering to find out if he could or not. "You see, your cousin Evelyn O'Connell and her husband sent a certain priest to the underworld a few years back and we need to bring him back again," he explained calmly. 

"Imhotep?" Charlotte whispered, aware of the mummy that Evy and Rick had vanquished twice now. 

"Yes, that's correct, I see you know all about him. Well, you see, we need him back so that we can...how should I put it? Ah yes, take over the world, I suppose the expression would be." 

"You can't..." she began and he cut her off with a fierce look. 

"Oh we can, Charlotte. With your help of course. We need you for several reasons actually. Firstly we need a human sacrifice and that would be...you. Secondly we need an insurance policy against the Med-jai and that would be you again. Thirdly, we need someone who can read ancient Egyptian." 

"I can't read ancient Egyptian," she said, trying not to sound smug, wondering what a Med-jai was. 

"I know. But your cousin can and when she finds out where you are she, and her family, will come after you. Oh, and just in case you were thinking of refusing to help in all this as you're going to die at the end of it anyway, well, we'll just take your little brother here." He nodded to the large robed man who had knocked Amir out and he forcibly took the little boy away from Charlotte's grasping hands. "Now, if you do as you're told then he'll come to no harm and will eventually be adopted by a wealthy local family. If, however, you try and defy us, we'll kill him. And be assured, Charlotte, we'll do it slowly so that he feels every single slice of the blade we use." 

"Please don't hurt him," she gasped, her eyes brimming with tears as she listened to the little boy scream for her, sobbing as he was carried out of the room. "Please, please bring him back," she said, getting to her feet and moving toward the door he had been taken through. 

The tall man stood up with her and viciously backhanded her, sending her sprawling back to the floor again. 

"I don't remember giving you permission to get up. That's the first thing you'll have to learn, obedience." He turned as the large man came back and nodded to him again, watching impassively as he pulled Charlotte up and flung her over his shoulder, carrying her out into the street where a group of camels stood waiting. The Englishman called Philip stood next to her as she was placed next to the animals and quickly threw a robe over her, securing it in place and pulling a piece of the dark green material over her face so that only her eyes were showing. 

The next second she found herself on the back of one of the beasts, holding on for dear life as they all moved out into the streets and then beyond, into the desert. She was so scared by this point that she thought she might faint, beginning to hyperventilate behind the stifling material. Peter Hall glanced back at her and gave her a warning look as they left civilisation behind, her last hope of attracting anyone's attention disappearing. They had been joined by several other men and they rode out across the sands in a tight group, Charlotte bringing up the rear. She wondered at this at first, but soon realised that they didn't really have to watch her at all. She couldn't do anything in case they hurt her brother and even if she did, she would probably get lost and end up dead. She allowed a few tears to fall and then gritted her teeth against them, knowing that even this small loss of precious fluid was bad. 

That night, after what seemed like years on the back of the camel, they finally stopped and the men went about making a camp. Charlotte sunk down onto the cooling sands and hung her head, one hand going around to massage her neck. She jumped when she heard footsteps nearby, jerking her head up and glaring at Peter Hall. 

"We'll be having some food soon, so you may remove your facial covering. But don't even think about removing the robes." 

"Why not?" she asked quietly and cringed as he lifted his hand to her face, wondering if was going to hit her again. She had tasted blood on the inside of her cheek for hours after the last time and knew she would have a bruise on her face. 

Instead of striking her he pulled the veil down and trucked it almost tenderly behind her ear. "You mustn't uncover your hair or clothing in case we're being watched. Whoever saw you would know instantly that you were European and probably alert the authorities, which I simply won't stand for." 

"I'm suffocating in these robes, though. Couldn't I..." This time he did hit her, smiling as blood trickled down her chin. 

"Don't question me, Charlotte. Remember what I said about obedience? Well, that's exactly what I expect from you. Silence unless told to speak, no moves unless told to move. Only if you need to relieve yourself at any time may you speak without permission, do you understand?" 

She nodded, the moonlight sparkling off the tears in her eyes. "I need to...relieve..." she began, embarrassed at having to speak of such things in front of this stranger. 

"Of course, come," he said, taking her hand and helping her to stand unsteadily in front of him. "Over here you can have some privacy. Don't worry, I'll turn my back and you can go as far as you like. I don't think I need to mention that if you try and run away we'll kill your brother, do I?" 

She shook her head and moved away from him, across the dune in the pitch blackness and down the side of it, affording her complete privacy. After she had finished she climbed back to where he was standing, surprised to find that he had kept his back turned the whole time. The gentlemanly behaviour didn't gel well with what he was going to do. 

He took her back to where the tents had now been erected and led her into a small one, watching her sit down on the bedroll contained therein. "I'll bring you some food in a minute but for now, here's some water. Drink it slowly," he advised, handing her a small skin of water and leaving her. She was grateful for being left alone and she used the water to rinse her mouth out, spitting the blood in the sand and then drinking some more of the cool fluid slowly. 

Later that night, after having eaten a stew that she didn't even taste, she lay down and tried to sleep, knowing that it would be a long time, if ever, before she would be able to close her eyes and relax. Her mind kept going over her situation again and again, picturing Billy screaming and sobbing as he was dragged away from the one secure person in his shifting world. 

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	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Ardeth Bay and the other Med-jai looked on over the camp as the people settled down for the night. 

"How long must we wait Ardeth?" one of his men, Rachid, asked him, moving his horse to stand next to his leader. 

"Patience, Rachid, patience. They will not reach the city until tomorrow night and by then it will be too late for them to try anything, too dark. We shall stop them at that time." 

"Then it is certain that they are going to Hamunaptra?" 

Ardeth smiled and gestured to the surrounding desert. "Where else does this lead? There are no other cities in the direction they are headed." 

"But why, Ardeth? The creature is no longer there, nor are the books. What can they possibly achieve?" 

"I am not sure, but we will find out before we kill them," he muttered grimly and turned his horse away from the small encampment. 

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The next morning Charlotte was woken just as the sun started rising over the horizon and forced out of the tent, covered from head to toe once again in the confining robes. She let the Englishman called Philip help her onto her camel, starting to get used to the strange mix of gallantry and viciousness the two men were made up of. 

The next few hours were spent riding through the blinding sands of the desert again, and she closed her eyes as often as she could to protect her eyesight from the constant glare. She didn't notice the men in black watching them from a distance but then, neither did anyone else, intent as they were on getting to their destination as quickly as possible. She started to get a bad headache after the first two hours and was sweating profusely, but she didn't dare say anything in case she caught their fury again. All she could do was cling to the camel and hope that she wouldn't faint. 

When they finally stopped to rest she could barely get down from her perch and, when she did finally manage it, she collapsed in a heap on the ground and just lay there, exhausted. 

"What's the matter with you?" Philip Stewart asked, striding over to her and pulling her up. He pulled her veil down and stared at her face, angered when he saw the state she was in. "The heat's got to her," he said to the other man as he joined them. "Stupid cow should have said something!" 

"No, no. She's learning, which is good. I told her not to speak unless she was told to and she's just obeying orders. Give her some water and let her rest, she'll be fine." His eyes took on an evil glint. "Won't you my dear?" 

She nodded. "I...I think so..." she landed hard on the sand as he hit her again and she heard him laugh. "Perhaps she's not learning fast enough eh?" He bent down and pulled her head up. "A nod would have been enough, I never said to speak!" he taunted her and laughed again as he walked away. Philip Stewart threw a skin of water at her and left her laying there, walking over to join the other men. She turned over and picked up the water, sipping it slowly and bending her head to her knees, resting her forehead on them. Her face felt swollen and she knew she must look a complete state. She had never been slapped before in her life and now she had been slapped three times in only two days, and she felt it keenly, so miserable that she didn't know what to do with herself. 

After having been given some bread and dried meat of some sort, they were on their way again. She ached in places she hadn't known existed from the uncomfortable prolonged ride, but on the discomfort went, for several more hours. 

It was well after nightfall when they stopped again and this time she noticed that they were near what looked like lumps of stone, sticking just out of the sand maybe a few inches. It looked like there had been a city here once, and an earthquake had destroyed it and buried it in the sands. She didn't pay too much attention to it, just glad that they would get to rest again. 

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The Med-jai waited patiently and watched from their high position as a camp was rapidly built next to what had once been the ruins of Hamunaptra. His eyes searched out the small figure of the woman and found her in the faint firelight, slumped on the sand to one side of the men, her knees drawn up to act as a rest for her head. She was unmoving and he wondered if she was sleeping. He couldn't tell anything about her from her appearance as she had remained covered all the time, the only thing he knew for sure was that she wasn't used to riding an animal for hours on end, because every time they stopped she ended up collapsing on the ground. He knew that she hadn't been given her own water on the journey either, merely handed some whenever they rested, which he knew wasn't enough for her. She would be seriously dehydrated by now, whoever she was. 

He lifted his hand to his men and gave the order to move out. They picked their way down towards the city, skilled at remaining undetected and no-one in the camp was aware of their approach. Not until Ardeth gave a loud, ululating war cry and swung his scimitar over his head as he galloped among the tents, his men following closely behind. 

They expertly dropped the men one by one, the workers who had obviously been hired in Cairo easy to home in on and kill. The two Englishmen were slightly harder as both had guns and were firing indiscriminately in any given direction. Ardeth's second in command, Khalid, brought his horse through a gap and cut down the shorter of the two men with a swift slice of his sword, leaving him with a fatal wound. Ardeth wheeled his horse around to deal with the last man when the woman jumped in front of him and spooked the animal, sending him flying off its back. He didn't stay down for long, leaping up and striding toward the foolish female, his hands shooting out to grab her and push her behind his back, out of the way of any bullets. 

But she obviously had other ideas, resisting his movement and grabbing at his arm instead, trying to stop him from using his sword. He glared at her above the black material that hid his face from her. Her own face was exposed as her veil dropped with her frantic movements and he got his first glimpse of her. Although he couldn't see her hair under the robes, he could see her eyes and her skin. She was pale, definitely not a local and her eyes, although brown, were not the darker shade of his countrymen. He had no more time to examine her though, as he saw the tall Englishman lift his gun and point it directly at her back. 

Ardeth grabbed her shoulder roughly and thrust her to the ground, stepping over her and throwing his sword, with a strong sideswipe, directly at the man's neck. Then the man and his head parted company as the sharp blade cut straight through his neck and stopped his life in the space of a second. 

Charlotte gulped down the nausea that rose in her throat and turned her head away from the grisly sight, squeezing her eyes shut. She was aware of the dark robed men striding about collecting the bodies and she wondered what was going to happen to her now...and what was going to become of Billy. Were these men anything to do with all this business and, if they were, why did they kill all the other men? Her thoughts were interrupted when the man who had thrown her down there bent and pulled her back up to her feet. 

She struggled wildly, using up her reserves of energy on the futile endeavour to get free. She swung her fist out and caught him on the chin, lashing out with her feet when he took a surprised step back. Her foot connected with his shin and he gave a groan, the sound quickly turning to a growl as he caught her arms hard and shook her. "Be still! I will not hurt you unless you make me do so," he hissed at her, his brows drawn down in a furious scowl. She drooped in his hold and raised her frightened gaze to his. "Who are you?" he snapped at her, his eyes glittering darkly above the black material, his brows still dipped low. 

She hesitated to speak at first, but as his dark eyes cut into her, growing more and more angry by the second, she decided to just tell him everything. "My...my name is Charlotte Carnahan. Please, these men, they kidnapped me and my brother...they still have him somewhere..." she tripped over her words as she tried to tell him what had happened as fast as she could, hoping against hope that he was not connected with them in any way. It was a risk she had to take. 

"Can your brother not take care of himself?" he asked, his voice seemingly softer than it had been before. 

"He's only four years old, they said they'd kill him if I didn't do what they wanted and I don't know where they were holding him!" 

Ardeth frowned at the thought of a young boy being held like that. He called over two of his men and spoke to them in Arabic, telling them to ride ahead to Cairo and find out what they could about the whereabouts of the child. Both men nodded respectfully and then rode out as fast as they could. If all went well, they would return with any news before Ardeth and his group reached the city themselves. He looked at the woman in front of him more closely, trying to see any resemblance between her and Evy. He couldn't see any similarity, but the name couldn't be a coincidence. 

"Are you staying with the O'Connells?" 

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Why, yes. How...?" 

"I know them. I will take you back to Cairo and we will find your brother." He noticed the tiredness etched on her face and his eyes went to the bruising she had suffered. He turned her face gently with one hand, rubbing his thumb over the darkness there. "I should have killed them at a slower pace, made them pay for this," he murmured and abruptly let her go. "You are safe now, you have no need to fear my men or myself." 

"I...thankyou," she said softly. 

"Come, you need some rest for the night before we begin our journey, you are exhausted." She protested as he took her arm and went to pull her with him. "No, please, I need to find my brother! I can't just leave him for another night!" 

Ardeth stopped and turned to look at her. "We cannot travel to Cairo right now and you would be no use to your brother if we did leave now. You are exhausted. No more arguments," he said firmly when she went to speak. "Your brother's keeper will only harm the child if he is given a sign to do so. Since these men are now dead there is no-one to give such a sign. Now, come," he said and took her elbow and led her to his horse, leaping into the saddle before lifting her to sit in front of him, his arms moving around her to take the reins. She would have stiffened at the unfamiliar feel of a man so close to her, but she was so tired that she couldn't find the voice to protest and she just relaxed back against him, her eyes closing as fatigue and worry finally got the better of her. 

She never felt the horse stopping a short distance away at the Med-jai camp, nor did she feel Ardeth Bay lift her from the horse and carry her into his tent and lay her on the bedroll. 

Ardeth looked down at the sleeping woman and felt an undeniable urge to see her hair. Because it had remained covered the entire time he had seen her he couldn't resist untying the robes and pulling them from her head. His mouth came open on a breath as he revealed the mass of golden curls that seemed to tumble from within the confines of the green material like a shining fall of silk. Had he seen this whilst he had been watching, there would have been no doubt in his mind that she was a westerner. Perhaps, he thought, that was why the men had made her stay covered. His hand absently touched the silken mane, taking a long tress between his fingers and testing it's texture. As if he had suddenly realised what he was doing he jerked away from her and got to his feet, laying a blanket over her still form and leaving the tent without a backwards glance. 

He joined his men around the campfire, sitting between Khalid and Rachid and accepting the bowl of food they handed to him. 

"How is the woman?" Rachid asked, slowly eating his own food. 

Ardeth shrugged. "She is asleep, for now. I believe she will be fine." 

"You took a long time putting her down, my friend," Khalid said softly, his mouth stretching into a wide smile, but his eyes never leaving the fire. 

Ardeth shot him a killing glare. "I was making her comfortable," he said as calmly as he could. 

"Indeed?" was all the other man said, raising one eyebrow. 

"I merely made sure she was covered up. I did not want her to wake and find the two of you leering at her," he said, his own mouth twitching with amusement now. 

"Huh," Rachid snorted. "What is there to leer at. Even with the robes a harsh wind would knock her down. She is too small!" 

"How do you know? None of us has seen her without the robes." Khalid put in. 

"And none of us are going to," Ardeth said decisively. "She is related to the O'Connells in some way and she will be treated with respect!" 

"Come now, Ardeth," Khalid said, offended. "When have you known me to treat a woman with anything other than respect? Rachid too?" 

"I know, my friend. I know you would not treat her badly. However, she may not be used to such humour, being an Englishwoman. Their sense of humour is..." he paused and rubbed a hand over his beard. "Unusual." He was thinking of Rick and Evy and the things they had said to him over the years. He understood them much better now than he had when he first met them, but sometimes he still found them perplexing. He focused on his food and joined in with the general conversation of his men, discussing the success of their latest kills and relaxing from the tenseness of the past few days. 

Later that night he crept into his tent and checked on Charlotte again, noting that she had barely moved since he had covered her up. He took an extra blanket and moved outside again, laying under the stars and letting sleep claim him. 


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Ardeth awoke at dawn and yawned, rubbing his eyes and then running a hand through his hair, his turban now laying beside him where he had put it the previous night. Sitting up, he looked behind him through the opening of his tent and saw that she was still asleep, curled on her side now with the blanket drawn up over her shoulders. He wondered how much sleep she had managed to get on the first night with those men. Not much, probably, what with all the worry about her brother. Well, he decided, she wouldn't have to worry about that for much longer. He would find the little boy for her. He had assigned Amir to watch the O'Connell's house when he had discovered from a source in Cairo that they were coming back to the country and looking for a bodyguard. Amir was one of his most trusted men, even though he was still only twenty. What had happened with this woman? Had Amir been watching her and, if so, how did she come to be in her current predicament. All this he would find out when they returned to the city which, after one more night's camp, they would do. 

He set about helping his men pack up what they would need, leaving the tents standing for the next watch of Med-jai to take over. When it was nearly time to leave he pulled back the tent flap where Charlotte was sleeping and bent down to her, placing one hand on her shoulder to give her a gentle shake. Her eyes snapped open at the touch and she shot upright, staring at him with a mixture of fear and surprise. He puzzled at the look for a second until he realised that this was the first time she had seen his face, he had been wearing his turban and face covering the day before and she had fallen asleep before he took it off. 

"You...you have the same markings as Amir," she said, staring at the tattoos on his face. In truth she could think of nothing else to say, transfixed by how incredibly handsome this man was. His eyes were a rich, dark brown, his hair long and nearly black, curling gently down to his shoulders. He wore a beard, like many of the men in this country she had discovered, and its neatly trimmed darkness framed a full, sensuous mouth which at the moment was curving into a warm smile. 

She raised her eyes back to his, struck dumb by the glitter in them, at the way they seemed to see right to the heart of her, as if she had no secrets. 

"Good morning, Miss Carnahan. Did you sleep well?" he asked politely in his sexily accented voice, his lips still twitching at the fascinated perusal he was receiving. He was used to such looks from women. He knew he wasn't ugly, knew he was well built and attractive to the opposite sex. Most westerners, however, were more scared by him than attracted, usually finding his dark untamed looks and tattoos fearful. This one looked to be a little different from the others, judging by the way she was staring at him. 

"I...yes...I..."she cleared her throat and tried again. "I slept very well, thank you, Mr...?" 

"My name is Ardeth Bay, you may call me Ardeth, as the O'Connells do," he said, taking her hand and helping her to stand up. 

"You know Evy and Rick?" she asked, her eyes rounding in surprise. "Of course you do, you mentioned them last night didn't you?" Then she frowned, thinking back to one of the letters Evy had sent her. Yes, his name was familiar, but how did he fit into Evy's life? 

"I know who you are!" she said as everything suddenly slid into place in her weary mind. "You helped them find Alex at Ahm Shere and...weren't you with them when they killed that Imhotep person at Hamunaptra?" 

Ardeth was faintly shocked that she knew so much about him, but he supposed Evy must have told her all about her adventures. "Yes, that was me." 

"You stand guard over Hamunaptra don't you?" 

"Yes, that is the reason we found you last night," he said, watching her expression change. 

"That place was Hamunaptra?" 

He nodded and frowned, seemingly uncomfortable with talking to her about this subject. "Come, we must begin our journey or we will have to camp out for two nights instead of just one," he said and led her out of the tent and over to his horse. He glanced down at her troubled expression. "Would you prefer to ride in front of me or behind me?" 

"Oh, well...won't I have a horse of my own?" 

He shook his head. "We have no other animals to spare. The animals that belonged to your captors have unfortunately been injured and should not bear any weight. We did not realise we would be bringing anyone with us." 

She realised that he had had every intention of killing every person he found. "Why didn't you kill me?" 

"You were there against your will, that was obvious, therefore you were not a threat. Cover your head," he told her, helping her to pull up the robes until her hair was out of sight again. "The sun can be unforgiving, and you must remain covered in this way. Do you know why the men took you to Hamunaptra?" 

"They said I was going to be a sacrifice, that they were going to raise Imhotep. But I don't understand," she continued as he pulled her up onto the horse in front of him, seating her across the saddle with both legs hanging over one side of the horse instead of sitting astride the animal. 

He saw her surprised expression. "This will be more comfortable for you. I noticed while we were watching you that you were not accustomed to riding an animal for an extended period of time," he explained and she nodded, admitting to herself that this was actually far more relaxing. She watched as he put on his own headdress, the edge covering the tattoos on his forehead, but leaving his face uncovered. 

"Thank you," she said shyly, wondering how the journey would be with his body pressed so close to her own and her view of the world beginning and ending with him. She cleared her throat and continued her previous conversation. "Evy said Imhotep went into the underworld at Ahm Shere, so why did they think he was here?" 

A frown appeared on his face as he reached around her to take the reins. "I am not sure. I had intended to question them before they died, but..." he tailed off and decided against telling her that had she not been in the way he would not have had to kill the taller man. "But I do not think that they were working alone, from what my informants in Cairo have told me. This is something we will find out when we reach the city." He turned the horse and shouted for his men to follow him. Charlotte stared at him covertly as they began their journey, wondering at the strange tattoos he bore. "Do they mean you're a warrior?" she asked quietly, indicating the markings on his cheeks. 

His eyes dropped to her face and studied her in a tense silence. "In a way, yes, they do." 

"The men who took me said something about using me as an insurance policy against the Med-jai. Do you know what the Med-jai is?" 

He smiled as if something amused him. "What's so funny?" she asked. 

"The Med-jai are a 'who' not a 'what'," he explained. 

"Who? Oh, I see. So, who are the Med-jai then?" she urged. 

"I am a Med-jai, as are all these men," he said. 

She waited for him to elaborate and, after a few minutes more of nothing, she realised he wasn't going to say anything else. She tried to think of something else to ask, worried that she could have become so empty headed in such a short time. Her thoughts were interrupted when he finally spoke, but the subject had changed. 

"What are you to Evelyn O'Connell?" 

"I'm her cousin, her father's brother was my father. He died a long time ago and my mother remarried, that's where my little brother came from," she frowned as she thought of Billy. "I hope he's alright, he was so upset when they took him away from me." 

"That is hardly surprising. Where is your mother and her husband? Why was he not keeping an eye on you both?" 

"My mother and stepfather died last year, so now it's just me and Billy." She shrugged, but he could see that it was a painful subject. 

He studied her small frame sitting stiffly in front of him. "How old are you?" 

"I'm twenty-two. Billy's four and he can be real handful at times. I hope he's giving whoever has him hell right now!" 

Ardeth chuckled at the venom in her tone and Charlotte turned in time to catch a breathtaking smile on his face. If she had thought he looked handsome before then she would now have absolutely no doubt about his charms. He was devastating, far beyond the realms of any man she had ever met before and she found it difficult to drag her eyes away. 

He noticed her fascinated stare and returned it in equal measure. He had noticed that morning that several of his men had been staring at her wide-eyed, noticing the obvious difference between her long golden locks and the ebony hair of the women in the village. 

"You remind me of Evelyn," Ardeth said to her after a lengthy silence. 

"I do?" Charlotte frowned in confusion. 

"Not to look at, just something about your ways, your personality, I suppose," he explained, sparing her a brief glance before resuming his inspection of the endless sand dunes. 

"Oh, I see. I've never really thought us similar before, but I suppose we must be in some ways. Of course, I know I don't look anything like her. Evelyn's very pretty," she said shrugging her shoulders. 

Ardeth frowned down at her. Did she not think she was pretty? He turned her face toward him. "And you do not think that you are?" 

She smiled wryly. "I know what I look like. I get stared at because I have unusual colouring. Evelyn gets stared at because she's pretty. It's an entirely different thing." She said the words without a trace of bitterness, just a flat resignation. 

He was stunned. She really had no idea of her own looks. "But you are very attractive, do you not realise this?" he asked her, studying her small face. Her eyes were large and a warm, golden brown. Her nose was small and straight and had a smattering of freckles across it and her lips were full and sensuous. She had thick, dark eyelashes and smooth, pale honey coloured skin. He could not imagine a more attractive woman of any race and felt himself stirring at the sight of her. The only thing marring her looks now were the dark bruises where she had been beaten and he gritted his teeth with regret. He would have liked to have treated those men in a similar manner. 

Charlotte stared up at him, feeling a frisson of alarm at the intense and almost angry look he was giving her. "What's wrong?" 

He noticed her sudden apprehension and forced the anger down. "It is nothing. Merely the thought of what those men did to you." He frowned again as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Miss Carnahan, I must ask you...did those men...hurt you in any other way?" He faltered slightly. 

"In what way?" Her brow wrinkled in confusion as she stared up at him, wide-eyed. 

He studied her for a minute before replying, taking the time to think of how to word his next question. "Did they hurt you in the way only a man can hurt a woman?" 

Her eyes widened as understanding set in and she blushed. "Oh, you mean....I...no, no they didn't. Just...er...what you see," she mumbled and turned her head away to study the desert. 

He smiled reluctantly at her embarrassment. "I am sorry to ask you such things, but there can be consequences from such an attack and you would have to be seen by a healer. It is good to know that things did not get that far." 

She turned back to him abruptly. "You really think that they would have...?" 

He nodded, deadly serious. "It has happened before. If a virgin sacrifice is not what is required then the men sometimes feel that it is permissible to rape the girl before the sacrifice takes place." 

"It never occurred to me that they would have eventually tried anything like that!" She shuddered at what might have happened. 

"But then, you are innocent, are you not?" he asked her, pinning her with his intense eyes. Her blush grew hotter still and she couldn't begin to think of how to answer such a personal question. His hand came up and stroked her face gently before holding her chin. "Are you not?" he repeated, his voice deep and almost husky as his eyes lowered to her mouth. 

His head actually started to move down toward her, his intent clear, when a cry went up from the lead horseman in the group and they all halted. Ardeth jerked back from her and dropped his hand away from her face, looking as if someone had slapped him. 

Allah! What had he been about to do? He shook his head to clear it and looked up as Khalid rode toward him. 

"Ardeth, it is time to stop. We must eat now," he told him, speaking in Arabic. He glanced at the petite woman in Ardeth's arms and nodded a greeting to her, not blind to her flushed face or Ardeth's apparent stunned state. "Is this wise, my friend?" 

Ardeth frowned. "Is what wise?" 

"I am not a fool, my friend. I have eyes and I saw what you were about to do. Perhaps it would be better if she rode on my horse for the remainder of the journey?" Khalid gave him a smug grin which infuriated him. 

"I was about to do nothing!" he snapped. 

"No?" Khalid rose one eyebrow and continued smiling. "She is very pretty. I would have no objection to taking her the rest of the way." 

"She will remain with me!" Ardeth said, his voice low and angry. 

Khalid nodded. "As you wish, my chief. I shall ride next to you," he said and rode back to the other men, giving Ardeth no time to argue. 

"What were you talking about?" Charlotte asked, still trying to recover from the fact that he had nearly kissed her. 

He looked down at her and shook his head. "That is my business, not yours," he said angrily and got elegantly down from the horse, reaching up to pull her down and stand her in front of him. He held her arms for a mere second to make sure she would not fall and then let her go, turning and striding away from her. 


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

She watched as he joined the other men and sat down, completely ignoring her and she wondered what she had done to deserve such treatment. Perhaps this was the way they generally treated westerners, she surmised, and shrugged. She noticed some of the looks she was receiving from the group of men, especially the younger ones and she turned her back, tucking her veil up over her face for the first time that day. She had seen them passing food between them. Was she supposed to join them? she wondered and balked at the idea of walking in amongst them and sitting down and besides, her appetite was non-existent. 

She decided she had better stay where she was and sat down carefully on the hot sand, arranging her robes to shield her from the sun. In all her life she didn't think she had ever felt as unwelcome as she did with these people. Still, it was better than being beaten and definitely better than being dead. Her thoughts immediately went to her little brother and she felt tears well in her eyes. What if he had already been killed? What if they had lied? They weren't exactly the most trustworthy of men. Images swirled around in her head of what might have become of him and she barely felt the tears overflow and fall slowly down her face to soak into the veil. If only she had never left England, if only she could just be safe at home! 

Ardeth was sitting next to Rachid and Khalid, brooding. "What is the matter with you? Has the tiny woman cast some spell over you?" Rachid asked, nudging his friend. 

"Perhaps she is a witch?" Khalid added, shooting Ardeth a knowing look. 

"There is nothing wrong with me and she is not a witch. She is confused and upset, that is all!" Ardeth barked at them and they both raised their eyebrows at his tone. 

"Well, if she is as confused and upset as you say, why are you leaving her all alone over there?" Khalid asked, nodding toward the solitary figure sitting hunched under her robes. 

Ardeth's eyes flickered over to where she was sitting. "She could have joined us," he said, his voice quieter. 

"Could she? I doubt very much you issued her with an invitation to do so, did you?" Khalid replied, giving him a hard look. "Do not worry yourself Ardeth. I will take her some food and see that she is alright." He went to stand up and hid his smile when Ardeth's hand shot out to stop him. 

"No. I will go," he said and stood up slowly, selecting bits of bread and fruit, adding some meat before turning to leave. 

"Just be sure that food is all you give her," Khalid said softly, his expression giving away his amusement. 

"Shut up!" Ardeth hissed, walking briskly away from his friends. 

"What is going on?" Rachid asked Khalid when their leader was out of earshot. 

"I think he finds her very attractive," the older man said, smiling. "I also think that he finds it altogether too much for him, having her on his horse." 

"Ah, I understand. So our great leader actually has feelings then?" 

"It seems so. This journey could turn out to be very interesting," Khalid said as they watched Ardeth approach the girl. 

Charlotte was so wrapped up in her misery that she didn't notice Ardeth stop next to her and crouch down to look at her face. She jumped when his hand took her chin and tilted her face up for his perusal. 

"Why do you cry?" he asked her, his face mirroring his discomfort at the sight of her tears. He had never been able to handle women's emotions very easily and tears tended to turn him into jelly. 

She sniffed and swiped the tears from under her eyes. "I'm just worried that Billy might already be dead," she whispered and let loose with another flood of tears. 

Ardeth's eyes widened and he gulped, wondering what he should do. His first instinct was to turn tail and run, but he quashed those feelings and sat down next to her, drawing her into his arms. He was so strong normally, never the coward, but this small sobbing female had the ability to make him scared. He wrapped her up in a warm embrace and rocked her gently as she continued to cry, shushing her softly. This wasn't so hard, he decided. She seemed to be relaxing and quietening down at last and he had to admit that the feel of her pressed against him was rather nice. 

He pulled back slightly when she finally stopped making the sniffing noises and tilted her face up to his, taking in her red rimmed eyes and the soft green veil that was hiding her from his view. His hand crept up and tugged the veil down so he could look at her properly, and she blinked up at him, embarrassed at her total lack of control. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, lowering her eyes again. 

"What for? Because you are worried about your brother? Your tears only prove how much you love him. They are nothing to be ashamed of," he said, absently stroking the soft skin of her cheek. "Why did you not join us?" 

"I didn't think...well, you didn't say that I could. I didn't want to impose..." she stammered. 

He looked guilty for a second, but covered it quickly and held the food out for her. "Here, you must eat," he said, watching carefully as she took the proffered food and began to nibble half-heartedly on it. "You must eat properly, my lady, or you will have no strength to help your brother." 

His words had the opposite effect from the one he desired. She stopped eating with her hand half way to her mouth and stared at him. "Did you just say 'my lady'?" 

He found his composure coming back slowly after having to deal with her crying, and he smiled across at her, amused that she seemed so stunned. "Yes, that is exactly what I said. Is there a problem?" 

"No...no. Just...well, no-one's ever referred to me as a lady before," she shrugged and flushed at his intent stare. 

"You have beautiful skin, did you know? It shows each emotion so clearly, marking you with their colours." His fingers came up and caressed her face again and she stared into his mesmerising eyes as they softened. "Why have you never been called a lady? You are one, are you not?" 

"I suppose so..." she tailed off when his hand cupped her face fully, the warmth from his big palm seeping into her skin. 

"Do you not like it?" he asked softly, getting the odd sensation of drowning in the large luminous pools that were her eyes. 

"Like what?" she whispered, noticing that he was leaning closer to her, his gaze fixed on her mouth. 

"Being called 'my lady'?" His voice was barely audible as he closed the last few inches between them and brushed her lips gently with his own, becoming bolder when she didn't draw away. Her eyes drifted closed as the pressure increased and his other arm came up to encircle her shoulders, pulling her against him. Senses that had previously seemed closed to her suddenly blossomed under the press of his lips and she gasped when his tongue slowly swept over her bottom lip, asking for and gaining entry into the warm inner sanctum of her mouth. She could feel his beard tickling her skin where it touched and his hands, slightly rough, rubbing across the skin of her face, cherishing her as though she were a fragile flower. Even her sense of smell seemed heightened. His scent flooded over her, infusing her with his spicy fragrance, the hot smell of the desert combining with his own unique essence. 

Ardeth was having similar feelings. She had a sweet aroma and an even sweeter taste and he found himself unwilling to pull away from her, aware that he was nearly crushing her slight form in his ardour. She didn't appear to mind, however, tentatively returning his kiss, feeling how careful he was where her lip was split. 

The sudden unwelcome thought that they were in full view of his men flickered through his mind and he gave a groan as he forced himself to pull away from her, unable to stop himself from bestowing a last few small kisses to her moist lips. He knew he would catch hell from Khalid, knew the man would be watching his every move with enthusiastic interest, eager to have this juicy morsel of gossip to taunt him with. He also knew that he should not have touched this young woman in the way he just had. He was nothing if not polite and respectful to females unless they forced him to act otherwise, especially untouched ones; more especially he should have restrained himself from one who was related to O'Connell. 

He looked down into the dazed eyes of the woman he held and tried desperately to feel guilty. But the spark of desire he could see shining back at him just made him want to hold her closer and kiss her again. He shook off the feelings and put her away from him gently, standing up and turning his gaze to the horizon, the sand dunes, the intense blue sky - anywhere but at her. 

Charlotte tried to steady her breathing as he pulled away from her and stood up. She had been kissed before - but only once and she had been sixteen years old. The boy had been the same age and had no more idea than she did of what to do aside from press lips to lips. It had been a lacklustre experience. Not this kiss, however. She felt as though her bones had melted into the ground and knew that at some point she was going to have to try and stuff them back inside her skin if she ever wanted to walk again. Her legs felt decidedly jelly-like. She had no idea what she should say or how she should act now. It wasn't everyday that a handsome, tattooed and robed, stranger kissed the breath out of her and then stood up and ignored her as though she had committed a crime. She frowned. Perhaps she had. Perhaps being touched by someone from her race was illegal somehow in his world. She turned her head and looked behind her, seeing that the circle of men in the distance hurriedly averted their eyes, all except for two of them, who continued studying her with keen interest. 

She felt hot colour flood into her face as embarrassment hit her full force and she shakily raised her veil and covered herself, feeling somehow safer behind the concealing material. Ardeth was still standing near her, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes looking fierce as they squinted in the glare of the sun. 

He cleared his throat and looked down at her, taking in the fact that she had raised her veil and lowered her eyes, as if she had done something wrong. He opened his mouth to speak, to reassure her, and then decided against it. This was a complication he had no time for, even if he felt an undeniable need for such a pleasant inconvenience. No, he would take her back to O'Connell, where she obviously belonged, and leave her there. One kiss was not a commitment, after all. He wondered vaguely if O'Connell would see it that way and decided it would perhaps be better not to mention the small indiscretion. Now all he had to do was forget how her mouth had felt under his, how she was quite obviously completely untutored in the art of love, how her lips had responded to his in an almost stunned manner. He had to stop the word 'pure' from running through his head and giving him thoughts that were anything but. 

He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath before turning and walking briskly back to his men, his eyes shooting a warning look at Khalid as a smile spread across the man's face. The fierce glare would have stopped any other man from saying a word, but not Khalid. He had known Ardeth since he was a baby and they were firm friends. Nothing he said could actually harm that friendship, a fact he used to his advantage. 


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

"Enjoying yourself, my friend?" 

Ardeth gritted his teeth at the muffled laughter coming from a few of the men within earshot and glared at Khalid. "Mind your own business!" 

"But you make it my business when you taste a woman in full view of your men. If it were dark then the matter would be different, as we would not be able to see such sinful behaviour..." Khalid trailed off and grinned when Ardeth looked as if he was about to bite something in his anger. 

"It was not sinful!" Ardeth growled. 

"No?" Khalid said, raising one eyebrow. "A pity." He looked up and noticed that his friend was looking a touch guilty. "Does it bother you to kiss a western woman?" 

"Of course it bothers me," Ardeth said reluctantly and sat down next to Khalid. "It should not have happened, I should not have allowed it to happen." 

"Was she unwilling? Did you force her?" 

"No, she was not unwilling," he replied, giving a small smile. 

"Then where is the problem?" Khalid asked reasonably. 

"She is related to the O'Connells and she is..." he hesitated, giving Khalid a sharp glance, "...pure. There are many problems." 

Khalid nodded and nudged Ardeth in the ribs, grinning. "If she is pure then surely she is a prize to be won? Regardless of where she comes from or who she is related to." 

Ardeth stared at him dumbly for a while. "Stop right there," he warned, narrowing his eyes at his friend. 

Khalid plastered an innocent expression on his face. "Stop what?" 

"Stop trying to marry me off. You have failed with the women of the village, so now you try to match me with any female who comes into my line of sight?" He stared at Khalid suspiciously. 

"Well, you are getting older Ardeth, 34 this year is it not? The elders would be very angry if I let this opportunity pass you by," his friend said, trying to look serious and failing miserably. "Before long you will be too old to father the sons that will take over your leadership, then what will happen? The cloak of responsibility will be passed on to me. And rest assured, my friend, I shall father many, many fine sons to continue my line!" 

"You are a fine one to talk, Khalid, when you have no wife and you are equally as ancient as I am!" Ardeth scoffed, feeling his worrying feelings drop from him and his humour take over. "Besides, not one person in our village would want you as a leader, what with your total disregard for our religious beliefs!" 

"Disregard? I am as devout as you are, my friend. Ah! I know what you are referring to, but I only had one glass of champagne from the O'Connell woman..." he argued. 

"It was an alcoholic drink. You know full well we are forbidden..." Ardeth began. 

"It was just the one time and I was curious...do not change the subject! I was punished for that sin, was I not? And I believe you were the one who suggested the form of punishment to the elders? It is far past time I got my own back on you!" Khalid said, frowning in mock anger. 

"Did you not enjoy shovelling dung?" Ardeth asked sympathetically. 

"I would not have minded if it was just for the one day, but a month? I stunk like a dead camel for weeks! Is it any wonder I am not yet married?" Khalid's slow smile told Ardeth that he held no real grudge against him. He turned and looked over towards Charlotte. "What of the girl, Ardeth?" 

"We will return her to Cairo and then continue with our duties," he replied, following Khalid's stare and looking at the small, hunched figure sitting alone. 

"And that is all?" Khalid prompted. 

Ardeth stood up again and grabbed a water skin. "That is all," he replied, walking slowly back towards Charlotte. 

Charlotte heard him approaching and kept her head down, staring at the food he had given her before and wondering why she had no desire to eat it. She sighed. Perhaps she would feel hungry later, so she wrapped the food in a piece of cloth and decided to keep hold of it. A water skin came into her field of vision and she glanced up as Ardeth held it out to her, his expression still fierce. 

"You have not yet had enough fluid. Drink this, but drink it slowly," he told her, his tone brooking no refusal, speaking to her as he would one of his men when giving a direct order. 

She obediently took the water and sipped it slowly, receiving his nodded approval. "Good. We will be riding out again shortly, be ready." He walked away and she watched as he and the men quickly gathered their things and readied the animals for the next leg of the journey. 

She continued sipping the water until she had consumed half of it, but drinking any more defeated her. Her stomach felt full with the stuff, so she quickly recapped the odd looking bag and slung the strap over her shoulder, standing up as Ardeth rode his horse over to her. 

When he stopped in front of her he kicked one foot free of the stirrups and held out his hand. "Put your foot on mine and I will lift you up," he said, grabbing the hand she placed in his. She looked down at his booted foot and tried to be careful when she stepped on it, not wanting to damage it with her weight. But he didn't seem to notice, merely raising his leg and pulling with his hand at the same time, boosting her up onto the saddle in front of him. She landed a bit awkwardly and immediately tried to steady herself by shooting one hand out for balance. 

Ardeth grunted and let out a whoosh of air when her hand landed heavily on his groin, luckily not as low as it could have so no great pain was caused, merely discomfort. He grabbed her wrist and wrenched it away from him as she struggled to right her position. "Be careful, woman!" he snapped, lifting her impatiently and arranging her in front of him to stop her wriggling about. Allah, if she moved like that on this journey! He was already having enough trouble controlling his urges and he had only had her with him for less than a day. He was also angry that he had kissed her...and that he wanted to do it again. He took his bad temper out on her. "Stop moving around like a child and sit still or I will make you walk for the remainder of the journey!" 

Charlotte stared up at him wide eyed, her mouth hanging open behind her veil. Where had the concerned protector gone? He was now treating her like she was the enemy and she wasn't sure what to do or say, feeling not a small amount of fear as she looked at his dark scowl, his lips thinned in his anger. "I...I'm sorry," she mumbled and turned her head away from him, staring at the sand and sitting as still as she could. 

She felt him sigh behind her and then he took the reins and shouted a command for his men to follow. She was relieved when one of his men rode up next to them and started talking to him in his own language, taking his attention away from her. 

"Ardeth, what has she done to deserve being spoken to in such a way?" Khalid said, looking at his leader disapprovingly. 

"It is best this way," Ardeth said, not bothering to go into explanations. 

Khalid nodded. "Then perhaps it would be best if she were to ride with someone else, as it seems to bother you so much?" 

"Are you offering your services?" Ardeth enquired, his eyes hard. 

"I would not be so stupid as to get between a man and the woman he desires. I was thinking of one of the other men," Khalid explained, staring boldly back at him. 

"I do not desire her!" Ardeth snapped, his eyes averted from his friend's penetrating stare. 

"Of course you do not. It is completely obvious how much you do not desire her. Therefore it will be no problem for...say...Rachid to take her for the rest of the journey?" Khalid was only stating the obvious, but it infuriated Ardeth nonetheless. 

"She will remain with me. She will feel safer with me," he explained, his head still averted. 

"Hmm. We shall see," Khalid replied, bowing his head slightly before dropping back to ride with Rachid. 

As the journey wore on Charlotte began to feel more and more uncomfortable. She was hungry, thirsty and she desperately needed to relieve herself, but she was too scared to ask Ardeth to stop. Besides, she thought, where on earth could she find enough cover to pee in private? Well, she could at least do something about the hunger and thirst, she thought. She pulled the wrapped package of food out of her robes and carefully opened it, selecting a piece of dried meat and slipping it under her veil and into her mouth. 

Ardeth glanced down at her furtive movements and watched as she started eating the small bounty of dried foods. Damn! He hadn't even noticed that she hadn't eaten anything on their previous break and that got him to thinking about other things. He hadn't enquired about any of her basic needs since they had started the ride in the early morning and he knew she hadn't been out of his sight even once. She must need a few moments alone by now, he thought. Now how to ask her if that was what she needed without sounding rude. 

She continued eating until nothing was left but crumbs and then she reached up to her shoulder to pull the water skin off and open it. She wanted nothing more than to drain the remaining water, but she knew that drinking fast in this heat was a bad idea and forced herself to sip the tepid water. She became aware that she was being stared at by Ardeth and hesitantly lifted her eyes to his, holding out the water to him. "Are you thirsty?" 

He looked surprised briefly at her innate politeness, but his frown soon reappeared. "Why did you not tell me you were hungry? We could have stopped again, if we really had to," he asked, his voice sharper than he had intended. 

This time his rudeness didn't scare her as it had before and she welcomed the surge of anger that flooded through her. "There's no need to be rude! It's quite obvious that you have no desire to stop, so you'll be relieved to know we don't have to. I'm fine, thank you for asking!" Her voice was equally as sharp as his and she put the water skin back on her shoulder and turned her face away from him, resolutely staring out at the vista in front of them. She managed to keep the shudder of anxiety from actually happening, appalled at the way she had just spoken to him. Still, she was justified, in a way, she thought. Even if he had rescued her, he still didn't have to talk to her like that. 

Ardeth stared down at the angry woman sitting stiffly across the saddle in front of him with his mouth hanging open. Never - never! - had a woman ever dared to speak to him in such a way and he was dumbfounded. Had she been one of his countrywomen he would have had no compunction about putting her over his knee and dealing her some heavy blows, but a westerner? How did one deal with a wild female from England? He had to swallow the sudden anger that erupted in him lest he actually treated her like one of his own, and he decided to let it go for now. But he was now aware, as he hadn't been before, that she was not quite as docile as she had first appeared. In his arrogance, it never occurred to him once that he was at fault, that he had actually goaded her by his own lack of manners. 

"Do you need to stop?" He asked the question through stiff lips, not really wanting to talk at all, but trying to ensure her comfort. 

"No," she snapped back at him, not adding a thank you or even turning toward him. 

"Are you quite certain? We shall be riding for at least another hour, perhaps more, and this will be the last time I offer to stop for you," he insisted, his voice harsh. He was being bloody minded by continuing to question her, he realised, but he hated her rudeness. It was such a contrast to the way she had been. 

"I've already said no! Leave me alone!" Her voice was even sharper this time and he breathed in through his nose as he tried to calm his temper. It didn't help. Nor did the muttering he could barely make out. No doubt some insults directed at him. 

"Enough!" His hand came up and grabbed her chin, forcing her face around to his. "You will not dare to speak like this again or I will be forced to punish you!" 

Her eyes flashed in a mixture of anger and fear as she grabbed hold of his wrist and tried to detach it from her face. "Punish me? For what? You have absolutely no right to punish me! None at all! Now let me go!" 

"You wish me to let you go? Fine!" He pulled his horse to an abrupt stop and pushed her unceremoniously off it's back, watching dispassionately as she slid down onto the sand and crumpled into a heap. To his surprise she didn't cry or plead for forgiveness as most of the women he knew would have. Instead she stood up and threw a handful of sand at him, aiming for his face, before shouting at him. 

"So what now? Are you going to leave me out here in the middle of nowhere? Well....well...fine! See if I care you...you...Arab!" She turned and stomped off ahead of him, not looking back as he brushed the sand out of his beard and turned to find Khalid almost collapsed in his saddle with laughter. 

"Having trouble, my chief?" Khalid asked him, trying to recover from the mirth that was actually hurting his ribs. 

Ardeth ignored the sarcastic comment, debating whether or not to send Rachid out after her or one of the other men. He soon decided that he would have to be the one to get her, as she had dishonoured him in front of his men. Now he must be seen to do the right thing, regardless of what race she was. And he was just angry enough not to care who she was related to. 

"Travel out to the al-Kasrain oasis. I will join you there," he told his second in command, his face stiff with the anger that was running unchecked through him. 

"It was not our plan to stay there tonight," Khalid reminded him. 

"It is our plan now. Go," he ordered him, his angry dark eyes never once straying from the figure of Charlotte. 

"Ardeth, be very careful what you do, she is not one of ours. You must realise..." 

"I gave you an order and I expect it to be obeyed. Now go!" Ardeth snapped, kicking his horse into movement. 

Khalid watched just long enough to see Ardeth advancing towards her like a wolf stalking its prey, before he gave the order to the men and they moved rapidly off in another direction. The men knew enough not to look back, knowing they would risk the wrath of their leader if they did. 


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Charlotte was tired and irritable and she hadn't quite realised how hard it was to walk on the deep shifting surface of the sand. It was far easier on a horse. He had actually pushed her off his horse! Well, his caring facade had soon given way to his real personality, she thought. Maybe he felt bad about kissing her, but was that her fault? No! She knew she had a bad temper and she had always kept it under wraps. But he had managed to bring it out in her in only a few short hours with his commands and his rudeness. And then to push her off his horse! She still couldn't believe he had done that, and in front of all those men. But then, she didn't actually know him, did she? He had murdered those men in cold blood and hadn't even shown any change of emotion over it. 

Okay, so she had been glad that they were dead, but was that what he was? A cold blooded murderer? Her emotions were going into overload and she couldn't do a thing about it. First she was kidnapped, her brother taken with the threat of murder, and then she was saved by these men who looked like pirates on horseback. And now here she was, walking alone in the desert, not knowing where the hell she was going and praying to any God that would listen to just let her go to sleep and wake up in her comfortable bed in England. 

The sound of muffled hoof-beats made her look around and she saw the men riding away from her, all except Ardeth who was coming straight at her looking grim. He wasn't moving particularly fast and she supposed he didn't have to. She couldn't outrun a horse and he could follow her for the rest of the day if he so desired. Well so be it! She would rather walk right now than be anywhere near him. 

Ardeth watched her for a short while, turning every now and then to see the progress of his men, watching as they became mere specks floating in the heat mirage. Good. As much as he knew she deserved what she was about to get, he didn't really want his men to witness it. He kicked his horse harder and trotted up to her, leaning down one long arm, intending to grab her around the waist and lift her back onto the horse. But at the last second she turned and saw what he was about to do and ducked away from his grasp, breaking quickly into a run and moving away from him. He swore under his breath and jumped down from his horse, giving chase on foot. It would be far easier to catch her this way. Besides, he was able to move over this terrain with an agility she didn't have a hope of matching. 

Before she had taken more than five steps he had tackled her to the ground, knocking the air out of her as she landed heavily underneath him. 

"Get off me! Get _off_ me!" she raged at him, trying to wriggle out from under his weight. 

He pulled himself off her and yanked her up with him, sitting on the sand and tugging her across his lap so her head was almost pressed into the gritty granules. He held her down easily with one hand on her back, despite her furious struggles. "Let me up..._ow_!" She yelped when the first slap hit her backside, shock making her stop struggling instantly. The next slap made her start-up again and she tried to escape the painful smacks he was doling out with depressing speed. "Stop...oh...you _pig_! Stop..._ow_!" 

"You will learn, *smack*, never to speak to the men, *smack*, of my tribe, *smack*, in such a disrespectful, *smack*, manner again!" he said, continuing to paddle her backside as her struggles slowly ceased. Unbelievable, she thought, the amount of pain this caused even through the layers of clothing she was wearing. At last he seemed to have finished and as he gave one more hard smack he rested his hand on her rear and relaxed, staring down at the now subdued female. 

Charlotte felt totally humiliated and her backside was so sore she didn't think she'd be able to move at all. Tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks. This was just too much. Oh God, she hated this country and everybody in it! 

Ardeth felt her breath hitch with a sob and pulled her up off his lap, determined to show absolutely no mercy...until he saw her red, tear-streaked face. He almost reached for her but she scooted back away from him, wincing as her bottom made contact with the sand, her eyes wide on his face. She didn't, however, say another word, a fact that wasn't lost on him. He stood and looked down at her. 

"Come, we must ride to join my men at the oasis before it gets dark," he said, holding out a hand to her and staring at her hard, watching to see whether she would still be so ready to defy him. He could see she was waging a battle with herself, but in the end she obviously decided that obeying him was the better option and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. She immediately withdrew her hand and walked slowly behind him as he approached his horse, wiping the tears away from her face. 

"I...I need to..." she began, stopping when he swung around to face her, narrowing his eyes on her as if she were about to incur his wrath again. 

"You need to...what?" He stood looking down at her, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes glittering darkly as she took a shaky step backwards. 

"Er...I have to...er..." she stuttered, more embarrassed than she could ever recall at having to ask this man to let her have a pee. Ardeth wondered at her intense colour for a moment before he realised what she was trying to say. He felt some embarrassment of his own as he relaxed his stance. 

"If you need...time alone, you may go on the other side of that dune. I shall remain here. With my back turned," he said, his voice almost kind as he directed her to the sand dune he was talking about. 

As soon as she walked away he turned to face the other direction, waiting patiently until she returned to his side, her head downbent with her remaining embarrassment. He immediately mounted his horse and pulled her up in front of him, trying not to notice the way she grimaced as she sat on the saddle. But after riding for nearly an hour, he realised how much the journey was hurting her now tender bottom and knew that they would never reach their destination at this rate. 

He slowed the horse and took hold of her, picking her up like she was a doll and turning her over the saddle so she was hanging head down. Her eyes widened at the position he had put her in and she struggled wildly, wondering what on earth she had done now to deserve another beating. Ardeth was surprised by her violent movements and as her legs thrashed about she kicked the horse, making it rear up and unseat them both. 

Charlotte lay struggling for breath where the fall had winded her, but Ardeth had no such difficulty, jumping up and striding over to where she had fallen and pulling her roughly to her feet. "What did you think you were doing?" he yelled at her, shaking her like a rag doll. 

"Please don't..." she gasped out, her eyes filling with the weak tears she hated so much. "I don't want you to hurt me again," she whimpered and he stopped shaking her, staring down at her with concern. 

"I had no intention of punishing you again," he said, frowning in confusion and then understanding. "I saw how uncomfortable you were and knew that it would be better for you if you were laying across the saddle. That is all." He sighed when he saw the disbelief in her eyes. She had a right, especially since he had caused her this pain in the first place. But her continued attempts to tug herself away from him were making him angry again. He held her more firmly and picked her up, shoving her face first over the saddle before she could protest further. 

"We have no time for this, the light is fading and we still have another hour to travel. Be still," he barked at her, mounting the horse and moving it swiftly into a gallop. 

If Charlotte thought she had been uncomfortable before then this took it to a whole new level. She was bouncing around in the saddle, her head lolling about no matter how hard she tried to stiffen her neck. Ardeth held her in place with one hand on the small of her back, urging his horse into a faster and faster pace, each bounce knocking the breath out of her. It seemed an eternity before their pace slowed and she managed to move her head to see where they were. 

She saw the other men in the distance, sitting around a beautiful pool in the middle of a fertile oasis, trees surrounding it. It was a welcome sight after all the sand. There were tents set up among the trees already and a fire was lit, a huge pot of something bubbling on it. The men had obviously been here for some time. A few of them turned as they saw them approaching but a quick gesture from Ardeth made them turn away and resume what they had been doing, ignoring them as they got nearer to the outskirts of the camp. 

Ardeth stopped the horse and leaped down out of the saddle, pulling her down into his arms and striding through the trees, leaving his horse for one of the men to tend to. She didn't bother speaking as he carried her along, she was too exhausted and out of spirits to think of anything to say anyway. They entered a tent that seemed to be a bit away from all the others and he lay her carefully down on the bedding, standing to stare down at her for a few seconds. 

"I will bring you some food in a while. For now I would suggest that you get some rest," he said, looking undecided. He seemed about to say something else but thought better of it and left her alone. 

Charlotte groaned as she tried stretching her tired body, feeling bruised and aching all over, especially on her buttocks, chest and stomach. She was sure she would have bruises to match the ones on her face. Good God, what a sight she was going to be when she got back to Evy. All she wanted was a good, hot bath and clean clothes. And to be away from these strange men, most particularly Ardeth Bay! 

She peeled the robes off her and sat in her skirt and blouse - the ones she had put on a few mornings ago. She was well aware that she didn't smell too fragrant and she gazed out of the tent doorway at the inviting looking pool of water. She could see now why Ardeth had brought her directly in here as several men were wallowing about in the water, obviously cleansing themselves. She wondered if she would be allowed to have a quick wash once everyone else was asleep and made a mental note to ask Ardeth when he returned. 

Just as she was about to lie down and relax her aching muscles she caught a glimpse of another man walking toward the water, wearing only a pair of loose black trousers and she scooted closer to the doorway to get a better look, intrigued by the play of muscles visible and the long dark hair brushing his shoulders. He turned sideways to talk to one of the men and Charlotte drew in a breath as she realised it was Ardeth. 

She put a hand to her chest as she looked at him, feeling that she was doing something forbidden. He had a magnificent body, his back and chest gleaming and bronzed in the light from the rising moon, muscles sharply honed from years of fighting standing out from his smooth chest. She saw dark patches of tattooing running across his back and chest and also down his long, powerful, arms, but couldn't get a clear picture of them. He laughed at something one of the men said to him and then walked down into the water, still wearing his trousers. She wondered why he wasn't getting fully undressed - until he turned and pinned her with his dark gaze and gave her a mocking smile, bowing his head in her direction before submerging himself under the surface of the dark water. 

Charlotte jerked back from the doorway and lay down on the bed. How had he known she was watching him? Maybe that was what the other man had been saying to him, maybe he had seen her peeking out of the tent. She felt a flush of heat move up her neck and into her face at having been caught staring. But he did have such a nice body, she thought, even if it was the first one she had seen without a vest on. A shame that the man who owned it was such a pig then. 

She mentally chastised herself. He had saved her life, after all. And hopefully he would save her brother's life too. What was a beating compared to that? Albeit a vicious and barely provoked spanking. A spanking that had left her extremely sore and uncomfortable. The more she thought about it the more she fumed, so she closed her eyes and tried to think of more pleasant things. 


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

By the time Ardeth stepped into the tent with a bowl of stew, she was sound asleep, laying on her side as that was the only part of her that didn't hurt. He sat down next to the bedroll and studied her relaxed features. She looked small and vulnerable like this. His eyes dropped to her body, looking at her for the first time without the concealing robes. She was wearing some sort of long skirt with a loose blouse, both in a fetching shade of green. 

Although he had felt her body in front of him, he had not actually realised how petite she was. He was a good foot taller than her, maybe a little more and his hands could almost span her waist. But she was obviously filled out in all the right places too, he mused, his gaze lingering on the thrust of her breasts and the lush curve of her hips beneath the western clothing she wore. A feeling of what could have been guilt tried to impinge on his consciousness as he realised how heavy handed he must have seemed to her. The way he acted was not out of place in this country, however, and she would simply have to get used to that fact. 

He reached out and gently grasped her shoulder, giving her a small shake to wake her up. No matter how much her body might need sleep, it needed food equally as much, if not more. 

Her eyes flickered open slowly and she gazed at him unseeingly for a few seconds. Blinking the sleep away she carefully sat up, leaning as much of her weight onto her hip as she could, instead of her bottom, listing at an angle. 

If Ardeth noticed he didn't say anything, although she could have sworn a flash of guilt crossed his face briefly. He held out a bowl of food to her and she took it from him, examining the contents and murmuring a thank you. She thought he would go away, but he sat and watched her as she began to eat, making her feel more nervous by the second. 

She felt her appetite fade after she had eaten half of the bowls vast contents and moved to put it down, but his hand stopped her, holding the bowl steady in front of her. "Eat it all." 

She couldn't fight the spark of anger that shot into her eyes at his command, even though she tried. She certainly didn't want to anger him again - the consequences weren't pleasant. "I've had enough, I'm not hungry anymore," she tried explaining, attempting to keep her voice even and not too sharp. 

"You have barely eaten enough to keep a rodent alive since we first started watching you. You will eat the remainder of this food or I will feed it to you myself!" His tone was the sort that not a single one of his men would have disobeyed, but she was different. He could see that she was about to rebel, her expression a curious mix of fear and defiance, but he held his hand up in front of her, signalling her to stop before she even began. 

"Do not test me, Miss Carnahan. You already know that I will not stand for arguments from you," he said, his voice deceptively soft. 

She swallowed and wondered what on earth was the matter with her. Was she suicidal? Why did she have this awful urge to argue with him? It was the orders he kept giving her, she decided. She was used to a quiet life with no-one ordering her around, and he was used to being the big boss. She lowered her eyes back to the food and reluctantly picked up the spoon again, starting to slowly eat the remainder of the food. 

He didn't move until she had finished her meal and he took the bowl away from her. "Good. I have told the men to retire to their tents soon as I thought you would like to bathe?" 

Her eyes darted up to his and then away, nervously. "I would like that, but...where will you be? Will you stay in here?" 

He smiled slowly and stood up, holding his hand out to help her up with him. "No, I shall be going with you," he said, still holding on to her hand. 

That made her look at him fully for the first time since he had walked into the tent. "Going with me? But...but...you've already bathed..." 

His finger over her mouth stopped her stammering. "I am not joining you, merely guarding you from prying eyes. I will have my back turned at all times. Come," he pulled her out of the tent and down towards the water. Once there she found that he had laid out an odd looking bar of what she assumed was soap and a bundle of cloth that she could use to dry herself. On top of the cloth was a bottle of perfumed oil and a comb, sitting alongside a folded black outfit. 

"This should be everything you require," he said, pointing to the various items. "The clothing is an outfit from one of the younger and smaller Med-jai, although it will still be large on you. There are a pair of trousers which you can tie at the waist and a shirt. The outer robes have a belt and hidden ties, which I will show you when you have finished bathing." He looked down at her and frowned. "There are no...er...undergarments." He seemed embarrassed to be talking about such things. 

"Oh, of course...well, I didn't expect..." she sighed and tried to overcome her own inability to talk. She had thought that she would be left in the tent all night after his treatment of her so far. "This is lovely. I never imagined...thank you." 

Her stuttering comments had the ability to make him forget his own discomfort and he smiled. "I will sit here with my back turned and you may have the freedom of the water." 

Charlotte looked around and saw that every tent was securely closed and that not one man was in sight. A few clothes were hanging up on any available object and some were laying on rocks. "Can I wash my clothing? Will it be dry by morning?" 

He looked at the washed clothes she was looking at. "You can wash them, of course. But they will not be dry by the time we set off again." 

"But, then why did your men wash theirs?" 

"Because they do not mind wearing damp robes, and some of them have spare clothing, as you now know," he explained, shrugging. "Now, come, wash yourself, we must sleep soon." 

He saw how wary she was and made a great display of turning his back and settling himself down in the sand. It took a few moments, but eventually he heard the soft sound of clothing being removed and then the gentle ripples of the water lapping at her ankles as she walked down into the pool. 

"Oh, my..." she shivered. 

"It is colder than you had imagined, hmm?" Ardeth asked her, almost hearing the shiver she gave. 

She looked over her shoulder to reassure herself that he wasn't watching and continued on her journey into the pool, until she was immersed up to her shoulders. "I thought is would be warm," she answered belatedly. 

"It is better that it is cool. More refreshing," he said, leaning back on his elbows and looking up at the stars. He couldn't deny the fact that what he really wanted to do was turn and look at her soft body instead, see all the treasures she had hidden underneath the restrictive clothing, but that was a pleasure he would not have until he was given permission by her to do so. Permission that was unlikely to be given, considering how he had treated her on this short trip. He frowned and tried to think if how he had handled her had been wrong, but he couldn't decide. A woman of his village would have been treated in the same manner, and accepted the punishment, but an Englishwoman? Perhaps he should have left it up to O'Connell or Jonathan to mete out her punishment. 

It never occurred to him that they would not have seen the need for punishment at all. She had merely been answering him in the same vein with which he spoke to her. He had always imagined that O'Connell had severely punished Evelyn for the way she had acted at Hamunaptra, but had never spoken to his friend about this. 

However his American or English friends would have dealt with Charlotte, he felt justified in his own conduct. She was in his country and, at the moment, in his care. Therefore she must behave as his own rules dictated. 

Charlotte relaxed as her body got used to the cool temperature of the water and started soaping herself, enjoying the spicy scent as she lathered her body. It was so nice to wash the grime and dirt off her from the last few days that she forgot her inhibitions about standing nude in the middle of the desert. For some reason she couldn't yet fathom, she actually trusted Ardeth to keep his back turned. Despite what he had done to her she knew that he kept his word when he gave it. 

Still, she didn't want to spend too long wallowing in this brief luxury, so she hurried to wash her hair and then set about getting her clothes relatively clean, including her undergarments. 

Stepping from the water, she picked up the bundle of cloth and wrapped herself in it, pleased to find it was almost as large as a sheet and kept every bit of her hidden. She shivered as she dried herself, once again surprised at how quickly the temperature dropped out here. It was so hot during the day that she often felt she would pass out and then, at night, it was like being in the middle of a block of ice. 

The trousers, when she finally put them on, were absolutely huge. Ardeth may have thought the boy who owned them was small, but he had no idea how much smaller she obviously was. She tied the drawstring at the waist and set about rolling up what seemed like yards of material until her feet poked out of the bottoms. The shirt was easier because, even as large as it was, it didn't gape open at the front too much and the ties there dealt with any problem of modesty. The sleeves had to be rolled up too, and in the end she thought she looked fairly decent. Her hair was a big problem though. It was tangled almost hopelessly from the days and nights in the desert and she hissed in a breath when the comb caught in a particularly large knot. 

She noticed Ardeth sit up straighter at the noise, but he didn't turn his head. "Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine, I just can't get this comb through my hair," she answered, working her way through yet another tangle. 

"Are you dressed?" Ardeth asked, still sitting with his back to her. 

"Sorry, yes I am, it's okay," she said, concentrating on her hair. 

Ardeth turned and smiled at the sight she made in the over large clothing. The material almost swamped her, but she seemed to have made adequate adjustments. His eyes were drawn to her breasts as the soft breeze blew the dark material against her body. It wasn't thick material and he could see the pearly glimmer of her flesh beneath it, a fact she was obviously unaware of. He forced his gaze away from her alluring curves and watched as she struggled to pull the comb through her wet hair. 

"Let me help you," he said, taking the comb from her before she could protest and moving around behind her. He held the thick weight of her hair in his hands as he smoothed it over her shoulders so it hung down her back, then proceeded to use the comb and the perfumed oil he had laid out for her. 

"This oil will make it easier to comb through," he explained when she asked what he was doing. She sniffed delicately when he rubbed a few drops of the substance through her tresses, liking the unusual spicy scent. The feel of him combing carefully through her hair made her relax and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting out a sigh of contentment. 

Ardeth smiled at the small sound. She may not trust him entirely, but she was finally beginning to relax in his company, which was a good sign. 

He frowned. That was all good and well, but what if she was outspoken in front of his men again? He would have no choice but to deal with her, and then whatever fragile truce they managed would be gone. No matter, he thought, trying to shrug off the problem. He had known the O'Connells for many years now and this was the first time he had ever met this woman. He doubted that he would ever set eyes on her again once he had taken her back home. His treatment of her did not matter. 

He concentrated on his task and before long her hair was tangle free and beginning to curl as it dried. Ardeth couldn't resist running his fingers through it one more time, fascinated by it's colour. What are you doing? he thought to himself. He abruptly pushed her away and stepped back. 

"I am finished. Gather your things and go to the tent, we will leave in a few hours," he ordered and marched off to the other side of the pool, leaving her standing there alone. 

Now what? she wondered. She couldn't work this man out. Just when she thought he was being kind he started snarling at her to change her opinion. Perhaps it was a thing with these tribesmen. That and the fact that she was a white, blonde westerner, she supposed. Well, whatever. Two could play that game and she had no intention of being polite to a man who didn't know the meaning of the word. 

She gathered up her things, taking the time to lay out her clean clothes on any available surface, and then made her way to the tent. She still held her underwear, not thinking it seemly to lay that out in full view of the men. She managed to drape it over the crude tent poles before she lay down on the bed. It was surprising how tired she felt, considering it was still probably early in the evening. She had no watch and so had no way of knowing what time it was, but the moon hadn't been up for that long and still, she felt exhausted. After all the trauma of the day, perhaps that wasn't so strange after all. 

Her eyes drifted closed as she relaxed against the slightly rough blankets and she slept. 


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

Ardeth sat beside the water and brushed a weary hand through his hair, glancing up when Khalid came and joined him. 

"Problems my friend?" 

Ardeth shook his head. "Nothing that you can help me with," he answered and stared blankly at the flat surface of the pool. 

"Ah. The girl?" 

"Yes, the girl." Ardeth sighed. 

"She has been disobedient again?" Khalid tried not to smile at the thought of a girl getting the better of his leader. 

"Not yet," Ardeth replied, frowning. "I do not think she will try that again any time soon." 

"Yes, I noticed how you brought her into camp. I assume her rear is giving her some pain? Was that wise Ardeth? What will your friend O'Connell think?" 

"His thoughts do not matter. She was treated appropriately whilst under my protection, and she will be treated in the same manner if she tries to defy me again." 

Khalid frowned at his friend. "I do not suppose she feels like you were protecting her when you 'treated her appropriately'. Where is she now?" 

"She is in the tent. She bathed and I...I combed her hair for her," Ardeth said, chewing his bottom lip as he thought again of how soft that golden silk had felt under his hands. 

"You combed her hair? Is that all?" Khalid asked, a sly smile playing around his mouth. 

"Yes, that is all!" Ardeth snapped. "But it was not all I wanted to do and that bothers me!" 

Khalid let the smile widen. "She bothers you a lot, it seems. So what is the problem? Have her and get her out of your system!" 

"I cannot do that," Ardeth said, the thought tempting. 

"Come now, my friend. it would not be the first time," Khalid said, grinning now as he thought of some of their past women. 

"This is different. She is different. She is related to O'Connell..." 

"And she is pure." Khalid finished for him. 

"Yes, she is pure." 

Khalid watched as Ardeth's eyes sought out the tent the woman was in and narrowed. "Why not take her as your own woman then?" 

Ardeth snapped his gaze back to his friend. "As a wife? No. She is not suited to this desert, she would never survive the harshness out here. If she was not with us now she would already have died." 

"True. But then, she did not come out here of her own accord, did she? And I should imagine that she is shocked by all that has happened, including the way you have treated her. You have to think that maybe she would be different under other circumstances." Khalid patted Ardeth's shoulder, seeing the battle he waged with himself. "She was not against you kissing her Ardeth, it was you who made it into something more than it should have been." 

"I should not have done it," Ardeth said, wondering how life could get so complicated so fast. 

"Perhaps not. It is not a sin to touch a woman, my friend, even a western woman. You know that." 

"Yes, but one whose relatives I am friends with? One whose relatives would trust me not to compromise her?" Ardeth shrugged. 

Khalid laughed at this. "If they would expect such things, then would they not also expect you to treat her with gentleness, instead of beating her?" 

Ardeth felt his cheeks heat uncharacteristically at the comment. "Perhaps," he admitted grudgingly. He stiffened his back as he thought of the way she had spoken to him. "I still believe I am justified. And I would do it again!" He stood up and stretched. "I am going to get some sleep and I would suggest you do the same." 

"What tent are you planning on sleeping in?" Khalid asked, standing up next to him. 

"My own," Ardeth said, pinning the man with a hard look, almost daring him to say anything else. 

Khalid loved dares. "Your own tent? The one with Miss Carnahan in it? Hmm. Not a wise move Ardeth," he said, raising his eyebrow. "Is sleep all that you are planning on doing?" 

Ardeth almost growled at Khalid as the sarcasm got the better of him and he turned and stalked away from him, clenching his fists when he heard the other man's laughter floating through the oasis. 

He flipped the tent flap back and ducked to go inside, glancing at the slight figure laying asleep on the bedding. There was only one lot of bedding in here, but there were spare blankets. Regardless of what he had said to his friend, he knew he could not sleep in here with her. His men would remember forever and tell everyone in the village. If the news got back to the elders they would verbally flay him alive for not bringing her home and marrying her. His eyes ran over her again, noticing the sheen of pale flesh just underneath the dark material and cursed himself for not putting the outer robes on her. 

He pulled a blanket from under her and covered the tempting sight, before taking some spare covers and leaving the tent to sleep under the stars again. In a way the cool air was a blessing, because his body had reacted to the sight of her, and he found it disturbing. He would not touch her, he decided. He would keep her at arms length until he returned her to Cairo and then he would treat her as he would any vague acquaintance. It was for the best. 

The next morning Charlotte opened her eyes and yawned, stretching to pull the kinks out of her muscles. She groaned as her backside protested movement of any kind and she tentatively ran a hand over her posterior. It felt bruised, she thought, and decided she had to have a look. 

A quick glance through the slight crack in the tent's opening told her that people were moving about, but that no-one was anywhere near this tent, so she felt safe having a quick look. 

Turning so she was facing the tent doorway, all the better to spot anyone coming in, she hitched her shirt up and undid the ties at the waist of the trousers, loosening them a little to pull them down enough to see her backside. She twisted her head around over her shoulder to look and gasped when she saw the bruising on her pale flesh. It could be clearly seen that a man had smacked her as the bruises feathered out into finger shapes and, although the bruises weren't very livid, she couldn't believe that her skin had darkened so much. 

"Miss Carnahan, we must..." Ardeth poked his head into the tent and came to an abrupt halt at the sight that greeted him. He couldn't see too much flesh but where she was holding up the shirt and clutching loosely at the trousers, the skin from her ribs to just below her hipbones was visible and he suddenly found it difficult to breathe. 

She was so shocked that he had come in here without any warning that she didn't have the presence of mind to cover herself. 

"What are you doing?" Ardeth asked her, trying hard to keep his eyes focused on her face. 

"I....er...nothing..." she stuttered, realising her state of undress and moving to pull everything back in place. She was just thinking how lucky it was that her naked posterior hadn't been facing the doorway, when Ardeth grabbed her arm and stopped her from covering herself. 

"Let me see," he said softly, pulling her towards him, despite her struggles. 

"No! No, you can't..." she began and then it was too late. He turned her around and brushed the shirt out of the way to stare at the damage he had caused, sucking in his breath at his own brutality. He had never imagined that he had slapped her hard enough to mark her, but her skin must be more delicate than he thought. She jerked away from him when she felt the butterfly soft touch of his fingers on her naked skin, her face turning all shades of red before settling on scarlet. 

She heard his breath sigh out and then felt him gently pull her trousers up and turn her around to face him, tying them at the front and ignoring her feeble attempts to stop him. He grabbed her hands when he had finished and looked at her downbent head. 

"I apologise, Miss Carnahan. It was not my intention to mark you in any way." Ardeth frowned when she continued to keep her head down and bent slightly to get a better look at her. He found the colour of her face amusing, considering how bright it was. Her eyes flicked to his and then away again, embarrassed by the fact that he had just looked at her naked backside. 

He held her hands tight as she tried to tug them away. "Look at me," he said, pulling on her hands when she refused to raise her head. "Look at me, Charlotte." It was the sound of her name on his lips for the first time that actually made her look up at him, and then she couldn't look away as his dark eyes burned into hers. Once he had her attention he released one of her hands and cupped her face, stroking his thumb over the bruises that were still marring her beauty. "Had I known how soft your skin was, I would not have been so heavy handed," he said, continuing the stroking. 

She was actually enjoying the soft touch to her face, and she very nearly didn't take any notice of what he had said. But then the words penetrated and she stiffened, her eyes glaring at him. "Not so heavy handed. But you still would have beaten me?" 

He shrugged. "Of course." 

Her mouth dropped open. "Why...you don't care at all that you bruised me you brute!" 

His eyes darkened at her words. "I warn you.." he began. 

"Don't you dare threaten me again! If you lay another finger on me I'll make you sorry!" Her voice was barely more than a whisper as her temper all but choked her. 

Ardeth stared at the fury in front of him and felt his temper starting to ignite. This woman was unbelievable! Even after the pain he had obviously caused her she would risk the same happening again! He lowered his eyebrows and decided to take her up on her challenge, reaching out and pushing one finger firmly into the middle of her chest to see if she would make good on her threat. 

She did, and so swiftly that he didn't have a chance to avoid the fist that connected with his stomach, jabbing the air out of his lungs. While he was so incapacitated she hooked her foot around his ankle and brought him down to the ground in a move that, up until now, she had never tried. Evy had written telling her of various tales and advising her on these moves, saying they might come in handy some day. Well, that day was here! She didn't think of what form his retaliation might take, her only thoughts that she had to pay him back for what he had done to her. 

She realised suddenly, when he got quickly to his feet and glared at her, that she was in serious trouble, and she tried to get out of the tent before the living volcano in front of her erupted. But she was nowhere near fast enough and she was caught around the middle and lifted off the ground, her legs frantically kicking to make him release her. 

He carried her kicking, struggling body to the bedding and dropped her down on it, coming quickly down on top of her when she would have escaped and pinning her there, one big hand holding both her wrists above her head. 

"Do the men in your country have no idea how to make you behave? Underneath the fine clothes you are little more than a savage!" Ardeth said, his eyes spitting angrily at her. 

"I'm not the savage, you are!" She was incredibly scared as to what he would do and yet she couldn't make her tongue behave. 

"Would you like to know how us savages deal with someone who dares attack the Med-jai chieftain?" Ardeth hissed at her, watching with satisfaction the fear that filled her eyes. "There are two things we would do to a woman in such a circumstance. One is to stone her, the other is beat the soles of the feet with a whip made of reeds. A very painful punishment, or so I am told. Which would you prefer?" 

"You can't mean to...that's barbaric...I won't let you!" she stammered, horrified at the fury she had unleashed by her own foolish temper. 

"Do you really think you will be able to stop me?" His voice was cold and hard, his eyes equally so and she shivered. "Choose your punishment." 

Her eyes widened and she stared at him through sudden, terrified tears. "No..." she whispered, starting to shake underneath the press of his body. She was wondering who would have been less terrifying. The Med-jai or her previous captors. 

"Then perhaps you would like me to choose for you?" Ardeth asked, raising one eyebrow in a way she was beginning to hate. 

"No, please..." she whispered, her voice very nearly incomprehensible. 

"I think the reeds for you as it is the lesser of the two punishments. Shall I call my men to cut the reeds and prepare them?" He watched as his words sank in and saw the moment that she came to the conclusion that he was fully intending to carry this threat out. Her lower lip started trembling and one tear fell from her eye to roll down into her hair, followed in quick succession by another and another. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice broken. "I'm sorry, please don't..." 

Ardeth rolled over and pulled her on top of him, smoothing his hands up her back and then cradling her head against his chest as she cried. "I am not going to beat you," he said, cuddling her shaking body against him. "But I want you to realise what could happen to you if you do not behave in the presence of my people." 

"I want to go home," she sobbed, tired of being scared and of not knowing how to act, tired of being treated like this. Her arms clutched at his robes and she buried her head into the warmth of his neck. The fact that this man was the cause of her current torment didn't bother her at the moment, she so desperately needed to be held for a while. 

Ardeth held her tighter, aware of her need for this closeness and also aware of how unreasonable his own temper could make him. She didn't need threats or taunts, not after what she had been through. But the way she had acted made his temper explode and he had keenly itched to give her another beating. As it turned out, the mere threat of a harsher punishment had broken her down, and he was satisfied that she would behave now. He doubted she would ever talk to him again, but she would behave. 

He sat up, taking her with him and then stood, holding her in front of him and continuing the cuddle until she calmed and moved away from him, breathing unsteadily. He bent and picked up the robes he had given her and drew her toward him, noting that she didn't resist him as he pulled the material around her and showed her how to fasten them, pulling them tight at her waist. 

"They are a little long," he remarked when he saw how they pooled around her feet. "But they will protect you from the sun. Get ready now, we are leaving. I will return in a minute and I want you to be ready." He left the tent and she hurried to pick all her stuff up, bundling it up under her arm and then moving outside the tent to wait. She felt incredibly subdued now and she was definitely not going to cause any more of his awe inspiring anger. 

As soon as she exited the tent, two men came up, nodded politely and then dismantled the structure with such speed that she was left blinking at the space where it had been. The sound of someone approaching her made her turn around again and she came face to face with Ardeth once more. 

"You are ready? Good. Come," he motioned her to follow him and they walked over to his horse. He mounted before her and stuck his foot and hand out as he had before to help her mount up in front of him. She managed to keep the grimace from her face when she sat in the saddle and kept still and silent as they began their journey 


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

The morning passed swiftly as they rode at a comfortable pace toward Cairo. Charlotte felt hungry, but didn't say anything. She supposed this was part of her punishment, not getting any food. It was better than being beaten, but it just added to her feelings of despondency. 

She was relieved when they stopped for a food break and wondered if she would get anything, but her worries were assuaged when Ardeth brought her a small bundle over along with a water skin. He didn't speak, as he hadn't spoken all morning, merely nodded at her mumbled thanks and then left her alone. She picked at the food and felt utterly miserable and also incredibly conspicuous. She couldn't wait to be back with Evy and, hopefully, her brother. 

By the time they set off again she had made up her mind to ask Ardeth about Billy, see if he had any information. After they had been riding for another hour she cleared her throat, but kept her face turned away from him, feeling more comfortable that way. 

"Have you heard anything about my brother yet?" 

Ardeth was surprised to hear her voice after so long without a word. "I have heard nothing yet, my men have not returned to us. We will more than likely meet up with them in the City. Do you think I would not tell you if I knew something?" 

She shrugged. "I don't know." 

"Of course I would tell you, it is your right to know about your brother," he said, frowning at her averted face. 

She didn't reply and he sighed, knowing it was better this way, but not liking it. They rode on for a while longer and she spoke again. 

"How long until we get to Cairo?" 

"Perhaps another two hours, not much longer now. We are almost within sight of the City now," he replied, pointing her to the horizon to pinpoint where the City would appear out of the heat mirage. 

She nodded and concentrated on the view ahead before voicing her next question. "Do you really stone women and...and...beat the soles of their feet?" 

"We did, about fifty years ago," he replied and she swung around to look at him. "Some tribes still practice it, but we tend to treat our women with respect and gentleness." 

"But you haven't..." 

"Treated you like that? I did at first, you will remember," he said, his eyes leaving hers and looking back at his men before turning to her again. "If you had behaved you would still be treated thus." 

She didn't know what to say to that so she turned away and resumed her silence. 

Eventually she noticed shapes appearing on the horizon and she felt her heart beat a bit faster as she saw the city loom into view in the far distance, at last giving her something to watch grow bigger as they neared it. 

After an interminably long time they reached the city and rode silently down the narrow streets, avoiding the odd car that rumbled along. Charlotte noticed that they received some very strange looks from the people they passed, most of them bowing in respect and she saw Ardeth nod back to a few of them. 

The sight of Rick and Evy's house appearing as they reached the outskirts on the other side of town was such a relief that she felt all the tension drain out of her, leaving her slumped back against Ardeth. He didn't complain, wrapping one arm more firmly around her middle as if he understood how she felt. As they neared the large house, he saw Rick run out and make his way toward them, not looking as concerned as Ardeth would have imagined. The reason soon became clear when Evelyn came out behind him, holding hands with a young boy that had to be Charlotte's little brother. 

"Oh my God!" Charlotte said shakily and then burst into tears, her body shaking so much that Ardeth had trouble keeping her in the saddle. He brought the horse to a halt outside the gates and swung down from on top, pulling Charlotte down after him. 

The stress of the last few days, of all the fear and uncertainty, caught up with her in one huge rush and all the blood left her head. Ardeth was still holding onto her when she started to crumple and he instantly caught her up in his arms, concerned by how pale she was as she lost consciousness. 

"Is she alright?" Evy asked, rushing up to them and brushing Charlotte's hair away from her face. 

"I believe the shock of seeing her brother was too much," Ardeth muttered. "Where shall I put her?" 

"Follow me," Evy said, leading him into the house and up the stairs to the guest room Charlotte had previously only been able to stay in for one night. She fussed as Ardeth gently laid Charlotte on the bed and stood back, unsure of what to do now. 

"You go downstairs and join Rick and I'll get her changed. She should rest and you can tell us what happened." Evy shooed him out of the room and closed the door as he made his way back down to find Rick. 

He heard voices coming from a room off to the left and looked around the door to find Rick talking to Khalid and the two Med-jai he had sent out in search of the boy. Before he had taken two steps, however, the small boy stood in front of him and was staring at him with an expression very similar to one of Charlotte's. 

"Are you a woryer?" he asked Ardeth, folding his arms in front of him in a very adult gesture. 

Ardeth smiled and crouched down in front of him. "Yes I am a warrior. Are you Billy?" 

The little boy nodded and grabbed hold of Ardeth's hand, tugging him over to the sofa. "Come and see my train. Uncle Rick bought me a train," he prattled on, leading the big man to where his prized new toy was. Ardeth made the appropriate oohs and ahhs as the toy was pushed under his nose and then found himself being used as a seat as Billy climbed on his lap and settled there to play. 

Rick grinned at the sight of Ardeth being used as a train track and came over to join him. "He's quite the little charmer, isn't he?" Rick said, ruffling Billy's hair. "We cheered him up after his ordeal by getting him this little toy. It doesn't look like they harmed him at all. In fact, from what he said, the woman who was looking after him was nice." 

"You found him with a woman?" Ardeth asked. 

"Well, I didn't. Your two men there found him. Apparently, the men who took Charlotte left Billy with some woman who lives in town, without telling her who he was. She got the shock of her life when your men pieced together the puzzle of where he was and burst into her house waving their swords around." 

"I imagine she did. Where is this woman now?" Ardeth asked and called his men over, asking them in Arabic if the woman had been questioned. he was pleased to find out that she was with the police now, and they were trying to find out who the men had been. 

"There is just one thing," Rick said, looking serious. "It seems the men weren't working alone. They weren't the ones who orchestrated this whole thing. Until we find out who the boss is, we'll have to keep a close watch on Evy and Charlotte. Either one could be taken." 

Ardeth nodded. "You are right, my friend. I will leave men here with you for your safety." He eased Billy from his lap to Rick's and went to speak to his men in more detail, pleased to find Amir walking into the room. 

The story of how it had all begun came out and Amir apologised for failing his leader, but Ardeth smiled and patted the man's shoulder. "You did what you could, my friend. You had no idea that something such as this would occur. As it is, all has turned out well. We will all be more vigilant in the future, no?" 

Maria ambled into the room holding a large tray and offered mint tea to the Med-jai and coffee to Rick, smiling at the compliments she received. Rick motioned for Ardeth to come and join him again and Ardeth sat on the sofa, once again being climbed on by Billy. 

"So, Ardeth, what happened out there to make Charlotte faint like that?" 

Ardeth opened his mouth to reply when Evy entered the room and cut him off. "Yes, that's exactly what I want to know. I've just put her into her night-clothes and she is smothered in bruises. Her face is a mess and the other bruises look like hand prints!" 

Rick's eyes shot to Ardeth as the other man moved uncomfortably. "Anything you want to tell us, old buddy?" 

Ardeth dismissed his men, telling them to go check the perimeter of the estate, before he replied. "Your cousin is very stubborn, Evelyn," he said, taking a sip of the mint tea he was holding. 

"Stubborn? Charlotte? She's as quiet as a mouse!" Rick said. 

"No she is not. She was most disagreeable at times," Ardeth said and Evy sat in a chair opposite them, frowning at Ardeth. 

"Don't tell me you're responsible for some of those bruises?" she asked him, shocked that Ardeth would hurt a woman. 

"Just the ones...lower down," he said reluctantly. 

Evy gasped and sat up straighter. "You spanked her!" 

"What?" Rick asked, equally as shocked, but also amused at the thought of Charlotte bugging Ardeth enough to make him paddle her backside. 

"She was disrespectful to me in front of my men and she did not behave as she should have," he explained, getting the dark look on his face that Evy and Rick both recognised. 

"She must just love you," Rick said, grinning. 

"Richard O'Connell, this is not funny! Poor Charlotte had just been kidnapped and then for Ardeth to strike her...!" 

"She deserved it, but I admit that perhaps I was too harsh. I never meant for such vivid bruises to appear on her skin..." Ardeth said, but was cut off by Evy. 

"How do you know what the bruises look like? Ardeth!" Evy's voice was even more shocked as she realised he must have seen Charlotte without clothes. 

Ardeth looked so uncomfortable now that Rick decided to step in and save him any more embarrassment. "Evy, the important thing is that he brought her back in one piece, don't you think?" 

Evy relaxed and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry Ardeth, you deserve our gratitude and instead here I am telling you off. Listen, you must be hungry, we haven't had dinner yet and I happen to know that Maria is making an enormous lamb stew, enough for everyone. You will join us?" 

Ardeth nodded gratefully. "Thank you, I would enjoy sitting down for a meal with you." He glanced at the boy on his lap and then looked up at Evy. "Where are your children?" 

"Oh, Alex is at boarding school now. But we brought someone with us to meet you and it's just about time for her to wake up. Wait here," she said and rushed out of the room. She made her way quickly up the stairs and into the room her daughter was in, still napping lightly. It wasn't like Evy to wake Libby up, but she didn't want to miss this opportunity to show Ardeth the bright little girl for the first time. Libby was as good-natured as always and sleepily held her chubby arms out to be hugged as Evy picked her up and carried her from the room. 

Her next stop was to see how Charlotte was doing. She gave a gentle knock on the door and walked into the room, pleased to see that Charlotte was sitting up in bed, looking slightly confused. "Evy!" 

"Hi, Charlie. How do you feel?" Evy asked, calling Charlotte by the nickname as she had when the girl had been younger. 

"A little odd, to tell the truth. I remember riding in, but...oh my God! Billy! Billy's here!" She pulled the covers back and swung her legs out of bed, standing up too quickly and suffering a wave of dizziness. Evy rushed over and placed a steadying hand under her elbow until she could stand on her own. 

"Sorry," Charlotte muttered, looking at Evy and then bending to smile at Libby. "Oh Evy, is this Elizabeth? She's gorgeous!" 

"Yes, she is isn't she?" Evy said proudly, bouncing the toddler. "I forgot you haven't seen her yet. That makes two people I have to show her off to!" 

"Two people?" Charlotte asked, frowning. 

"Yes, you and Ardeth. You know Ardeth now, of course," Evy said, watching carefully for Charlotte's reaction. 

"Yes, I know him. He was so...I know he rescued me Evy but he is just so...oooh!" 

Evy smiled. "You know, that's how Rick used to affect me when we first met, too. Things worked out okay in the end though," she said. 

"Things won't work out okay with him. I am so glad to be back here and safe at last!" 

"Weren't you safe with Ardeth and the Med-jai then?" Evy asked, giving her cousin a sly look. 

"It certainly didn't feel like it!" 

"Get your robe on and come downstairs. We'll be having dinner soon and you must be hungry," Evy said, urging Charlotte to move. 

"I am. I didn't eat much in the last few days. Er...is Ardeth down there?" she asked, tying the robe securely around her waist and putting her slippers on. 

"Yes, he's talking to Rick. Come on," she persisted, "he's not going to bite." 

"No," she shuddered. "He does far worse things than bite. Look, I'll come down but I won't sit near him. Promise me you won't sit me near him Evy!" 

"I promise. You can sit next to me. Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't throw you over his knee again!" Evy couldn't keep the grin from her face and Charlotte gave her a surprised look. "Charlie, I put your night-clothes on. I saw the bruises. If it's any consolation Ardeth regrets marking you." 

"And that makes it alright?" Charlotte asked, aghast. 

"Of course not! I don't condone that sort of behaviour and I'm lucky that Rick has never tried anything of the sort. Or maybe I should say that he's lucky?" She led Charlotte from the room. "Mind you, our first time in Cairo together, in the middle of the Hamunaptra business, he did throw me over his shoulder and lock me in the bedroom. That was very heavy handed. He's made up for it since, though!" She looked at Libby who was staring at Charlotte and holding her arms out to the other woman. "Here, I think someone wants a hug." 

Charlotte took the bubbly two year old and cuddled her, enjoying the warmth and the little grasping hands that explored her face and tugged at her hair. "She's lovely. Rick must be so proud of you for giving him two gorgeous children." 

"I don't think Alex would appreciate being called gorgeous, but yes, I think Rick is proud," Evy said. "Billy's a sweetheart too. He looks like your mother, same colouring as you. He seems to like Ardeth." 

Charlotte was going to ask her what she meant when they entered the living room and she saw Billy sitting on Ardeth's lap, playing with a toy train. 

"I hope you don't mind, but Rick thought the toy would cheer him up," Evy explained. 

"Oh, that's so nice of you, he loves trains." She handed Libby to Evy again and rushed over to her little brother. Billy looked up from making train noises and hurled himself at Charlotte, his small body almost making her lose her balance. She cuddled him for a while, trying not to cry with relief to have him back with her again, and then she held him at arms length and studied him carefully, looking for any sign of harm. 

"Are you okay pumpkin?" 

Billy nodded and held his train up. "Look, Charlotte. Uncle Rick brought me a real train and I've been showing it the woryer," he said and pointed to Ardeth, who was smiling gently at the child. 

"Yes, I have been used as train tracks. An unusual experience." he said, his eyes glancing off hers as if he didn't want to look at her. Well, that suited her fine, because she most decidedly didn't want to look at him. She wished he had directed that smile at her instead of at Billy, though, and that thought niggled. 

She didn't get a chance to reply as Billy pulled her face back to his, talking to her from a space of about an inch. "Can I sit next to the woryer to eat my dinner, Charlotte? Can I? Please? He knows about trains." 

Charlotte felt a flash of annoyance that her little brother would prefer Ardeth's company even after being parted from her for so long, but she couldn't resist his serious little face. She smiled and hugged him again. "Of course you can. His name's Ardeth, and you should really ask him if it's okay." 

She turned to look at Ardeth again and saw him holding a slightly sleepy Libby, complimenting Rick and Evy on this latest addition to their family. 

"She looks very different from young Alex, more Evy's colouring." Ardeth said, not protesting in the least when Libby started tugging on his beard. "I am sorry I could not come to your home and see her sooner, but my duties here have kept me too busy. I hope you understand, my friends..." 

"Of course we do. We're just glad that you're getting to see her now. She seems to like you," Evy said, grinning at his discomfort. "You can tell her to stop you know, she won't break if you speak harshly to her!" 

"No, she is fine. When she really starts hurting I shall tell her to stop, do not worry," Ardeth gave a dazzling smile to the little girl and received a hard pat on the nose and a giggle in response. 

As soon as Libby got bored with tormenting him she squirmed to be set free and toddled across the room to her mother. Billy, who had been awaiting his chance, instantly left Charlotte's arms and climbed back up onto Ardeth's lap, grabbing his face to get his full attention. Rick smiled at the look of surprise on Ardeth's face at the little boy's forceful attitude. 

"You have to get used to that with kids, you know. They like to make sure you're listening," Rick said, watching as Charlotte and Evy sat down in two of the comfortable chairs across the room. 

Billy asked Ardeth politely if he could sit with him and Ardeth smiled and nodded at the small boy, teaching him how to pronounce his name properly. He was very patient with him, Charlotte thought. So how come he hadn't been remotely patient with her? She chewed her lip as she thought about that and came to only one conclusion. It was because she was a woman! She noticed suddenly that Ardeth had raised his eyes to hers and was staring at her intently, his expression heated. Her eyes were trapped and held by that look before he dropped his gaze deliberately to her lips and licked his own, making her blush. 

Rick and Evy both caught the look and glanced at each other, trying not to smile at how intently Ardeth was studying the young girl. 

"Shall we go into the dining room?" Evy asked, standing up and urging Charlotte up with her. "Maria will be calling us in soon anyway. Ardeth, call Khalid and Amir in will you? Oh, and Rachid. They should all sit with us, don't you think?" 

"That is very kind of you, Evelyn, thank you." Ardeth said as he straightened up, lifting the small boy with him, much to Billy's delight. 

"What about the rest of the men?" Rick asked. 

"Yes, Maria would have made enough for everyone. She has this uncanny knack of knowing how many people will be descending on us!" Evy said, moving out of the room ahead of the men. 

"Thank you Evelyn, but my men will eat outside whilst keeping watch. They will appreciate the food," Ardeth said, grinning at Billy as the little boy started fiddling with his hair. When they reached the hall he bent and put Billy down, keeping one hand on his shoulder. "I will be back in a moment, child." 

Billy wasn't so easily put off, however, and he grabbed Ardeth's hand before he had taken more than a step. 

"Looks like you just made a friend," Rick said, smiling and patting Ardeth's shoulder. 

"Indeed. Very well, Billy, you may come with me," he said, getting a happy beam from the boy. 


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

As soon as they were out of earshot Evy and Rick turned to Charlotte, who actually took a backward step at their inquisitive expressions. 

"Spill the beans, Charlie. What happened out there?" Evy said, grabbing her cousins arm and drawing her into the dining room. 

"Yeah, something odd must have happened. Why would Ardeth..er..tell you off?" Rick asked, following closely behind the two women. 

"Well, I don't really know," Charlotte replied, shrugging. "I was a bit rude I suppose, but he was rude to me first. All I did was respond." 

"Did you shout at him?" Rick asked as they sat down, frowning as he tried to find out what had set his old friend off. 

"Maybe a little bit," Charlotte said evasively. 

"In front of his men?" Evy prompted, sitting next to Charlotte and looking almost pleased. 

"Well, yes. Why?" 

"That would be enough to set him off," Rick murmured, smiling as he thought of a mere woman disrespecting the Med-jai chieftain. 

"But that's all? It doesn't sound like the Ardeth we know," Evy mused. 

"He seemed nice at first, just after he rescued me. But then he kissed me and suddenly became all rude and..." 

"What?!" Rick burst out, his mouth hanging open. "He _kissed_ you? Ardeth?" 

Charlotte went red at the intense scrutiny she was getting from both of them and nodded. Rick grinned and Evy giggled. 

"Ardeth kissed her!" Evy said. "That's not something I would expect him to do. As for him being rude, it must have been something to do with the kiss." 

"Yeah, like he felt guilty," Rick put in, piecing together the actual events with an uncanny skill. 

"Well, that's not my fault! I never asked him to kiss me! And then he chases me and throws me over his knee and starts slapping me like he has every right to do so! If I was a man I'd have killed him!" Charlotte was getting angrier by the second as she thought about the rough treatment she had received. 

"If you were a man it would never have happened," Rick pointed out. "I must ask Ardeth about this later on," he added, smiling as he thought of the discomfort he could cause his stoic friend. 

"Don't you dare!" Charlotte said, shocked. 

"Rick? You won't will you?" Evy pressed him, her eyes telling him that he could ask his friend anything he liked, as long as it wasn't in front of her cousin. 

"Oh, no, okay. Of course not," he said. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "When's Jonathan arriving? Shouldn't he have been here by now?" 

"He's going to be here in two days. Something about being delayed by the museum," Evy explained. 

"Yeah. Or being delayed by his gambling buddies," Rick said sarcastically, receiving a sharp look from Evy. 

Maria bustled into the room at that moment with a huge tureen of stew, and then Ardeth and some of his men reappeared and the discussion was forgotten. Billy was glowing from all the attention he was receiving from the strange men and he obviously enjoyed being in so much male company. Charlotte felt sad for him. He had no mother and father anymore, just her, and she couldn't provide the father figure he needed. As much as she might dislike Ardeth Bay, she had to admit he was good for her little brother and decided that she would let Billy spend as much time as he wanted with him before she asked Evy about how they could get home. She knew Evy and Rick were to be here for two months, perhaps more if the dig took more time, but she wanted to be back in more familiar surroundings after her ordeal. Perhaps she would wait to broach the subject until Jonathan had arrived. Her feelings may have changed by then. 

The dinner was a pleasant affair, the men laughing as they spoke about some of their past exploits and about how they had tried to kill Rick and Evy. It surprised Charlotte that they could laugh about such a thing, but she found herself smiling and relaxing in the infectious atmosphere. 

It was dark by the time she noticed that Billy was leaning limply on Ardeth's shoulder, his eyes already half closed as he tried to fight sleep so he could spend more time with his new hero. Ardeth didn't seem to mind, holding Billy as naturally as if he were his own son, one hand patting his back. Evy had long since put Libby to bed and Charlotte would normally have taken Billy right up with her, but she didn't want to deprive him of this time. She stood up and moved around the table toward him, reaching out so that she could lift Billy up and take him upstairs to bed. Ardeth shook his head. 

"I will take him up if you would show me where to put him? He is too heavy for you," he said, standing. "Besides, if you take him away from me he may wake up fully and decide he does not want to sleep." 

"Okay, but he isn't really very heavy, you know. I'll show you his room," Charlotte said and led him out of the room and up the stairs, aware of several pairs of eyes watching their progress. 

"He is enamoured of the golden haired English girl," Khalid told them in a hushed voice, grinning from ear to ear when he saw them start chuckling. 

"My cousin said that he actually kissed her," Evy said, her words a question of sorts. 

Rachid and Khalid both nodded, getting a shocked look from Amir. "Our chieftain did not act in an inappropriate manner?" he asked, frowning. 

Khalid shook his head. "No. He likes this girl and she did not complain when he kissed her. But he did not touch her in any other way," he explained. 

"Yes he did! He beat her, didn't he?" Evy asked. 

"Yes he did. I was not sure if that form of punishment was fitting for a westerner, but he did have every right to inflict it. She spoke to him as no-one would ever dare!" Rachid said, smiling as he thought of the delicate girl shouting at his leader. 

"No woman you mean?" Evy said, disgusted by his condoning of Ardeth's actions. 

"No, Mrs O'Connell. No person would dare speak to our leader in such a way and expect to remain unharmed. A man would probably be whipped for it. A woman....your cousin got off lightly, believe me." Rachid shrugged almost apologetically, but his eyes were deadly serious. 

"As we have said, he likes this girl," Khalid put in, "but I do not think he feels it is right to pursue her as she is related to you." 

"Well, we don't really have any say in the matter. It's up to Charlotte," Evy said. 

"Yeah. Mind you, she doesn't seem very fond of Ardeth right now. I think she'd like to give him the same treatment she received at his hands," Rick said, smiling and shaking his head. "I'm going to have a quick word with Ardeth though. You know, ask him what he thought he was doing and what his intentions are now." 

Khalid laughed. "You are a wicked man, O'Connell, to want to cause our leader distress!" 

Soon they were all laughing and talking about the man they knew Ardeth to be, and how things might change if he actually made a serious play for Charlotte. 

Charlotte showed Ardeth where to put the small boy, leading him into Billy's room and clearing the few toys the boy had brought with him off the bed and turning the cover back. After Ardeth had carefully laid him down she took his shoes and socks off and then covered him up, deciding not to disturb him too much by taking his clothes off. Ardeth watched her fuss over her little brother and frowned. He would like her to fuss over him just as much, but with her being a relative of the O'Connells...he didn't know how serious he would want to get with her. What if he tired of her after having her, what then? It had happened with women before, although they were casual relationships and sometimes women whose entire purpose in life had been to bring pleasure to men. 

Charlotte was entirely different. If he tired of her he may be at risk of losing the O'Connell's friendship by leaving her. Then again, what if he decided he wanted to be more serious? Would O'Connell agree to a bond between the two of them? It seemed an impossible situation. One thing he did know was that he could see this woman having his children and he had never been able to imagine that with any other female. Plus Charlotte was untouched, of that he was certain. A true man did not dally with such a female unless his intentions were honourable. 

Charlotte straightened up and turned toward him, looking and feeling on edge being alone with him. She gave a polite smile and went to move past him, but he caught her arm in a firm grip and stopped her progress, pulling her so that she was standing in front of him. 

"What are you doing?" she gasped, trying to tug herself free, unwilling to be this close to this particular man again. 

He frowned and held her tighter, not saying a word as his eyes dropped to her mouth. He couldn't help himself. No matter what he had tried to tell himself about keeping his distance, he simply couldn't resist tasting her again. He bent and took her mouth so swiftly that she didn't have a hope of avoiding him...and then she didn't want to. 

The feelings he had evoked when he had kissed her before came to her more quickly this time and her eyes closed as she savoured the texture of his full lips caressing hers, urging her lips to part for him and then delving inside to tangle his tongue with hers. His hands lifted her arms up so that they were around his neck and then he ran his hands over her waist and up her ribcage, stopping just short of her breasts and spreading his fingers wide, the tips of them gently nudging the swell of her. All of a sudden he picked her up and lifted her on a level with him, crushing her against his hard body and deepening the kiss yet further, until she gave a small moan as she tried to get closer still to the tormenting pleasure of his kiss. He tried desperately to draw back from her, tried to end the kiss that was heating up second by second, but he found himself unable to stop, his mouth burrowing into hers more firmly as her arms held him tight around the neck. 

Some small sliver of sense told him to get out of this room so they didn't wake the child up, but he still couldn't stop the kiss. He found himself walking out of the room still holding her, his steps automatic and stiff as though he were one of the undead. The kiss continued as they stood on the landing and he had no idea where it would have headed if Evy hadn't come upstairs to check on Libby. Her gasp of shock made Ardeth's eyes flick open instantly and finally gave him the wherewithal to release the woman he was holding so tightly. 

Charlotte clutched at his shoulders as he lowered her back to her feet and he kept his arms around her to give her extra support. Her eyes shot to Evy as the other woman started speaking and it took her a few seconds for her hearing to come back, so dazed was she. By the time she had regained her senses Evy had given up trying to make her listen and was talking to Ardeth instead. 

"I was just coming to check on Libby. We were..er...wondering where you two had gone. Is everything alright?" 

"Everything is fine Evelyn. We will join you in a moment," Ardeth told her, his voice surprisingly calm, almost as if they hadn't just been found necking at the top of the stairs. Charlotte kept her eyes fixed to his chest which was directly in front of her, embarrassed beyond belief that Evy had caught her with Ardeth...like that! She saw Evy move away out of the corner of her eye and let out a shaky breath, wondering what to do now. The fingertips that tilted her chin up made her shiver, and she still couldn't meet his eyes. 

"Why do you avoid my eyes? Are you ashamed?" Ardeth asked her, staring intently at her flushed face. 

"I shouldn't have...you shouldn't have..." she stammered, trying to draw her face away from his hand. His grip remained firm. 

"No, we should not have. But we have and I do not know if I can stop now," Ardeth said, his free hand stroking over her back. "I enjoy touching you far too much." 

She finally raised her eyes to his and was caught in the dark depths of his gaze, seeing the emotions flaring there. "Evy will tell Rick," she whispered, biting her lip. 

"Perhaps. It does not matter. I will talk to O'Connell if the need arises. Come, we should go and join them," he said, moving her ahead of him and guiding her politely down the stairs. Evy came back out of Libby's room and followed them, her amused eyes taking in Ardeth's hand on Charlotte's back. 

They joined Rick and the other men and Charlotte sat down, trying to be inconspicuous, but her flaming face made Rick give her some unusual looks. "Everything okay Charlotte?" 

Her flush got worse as all eyes turned to her. Evy hid another smile and spoke up before Charlotte could say a word. "She's just got back from being kidnapped, darling. I'm sure she's feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment." 

"Yeah, of course, she would be. Sorry, Charlotte, dumb question huh?" Rick said, smiling broadly at his own seeming stupidity, and the moment was forgotten as the others joined in and talked about general topics. 

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Evy, giving a tentative smile when her cousin smiled reassuringly and moved to sit next to her. 

"Don't worry so much. Rick and the other men probably won't notice the way Ardeth looks at you when he thinks no-one's watching," Evy said with an even wider smile. "We've all been there at one time or another. Take my relationship with Rick for example. I couldn't stand the sight of him when I first met him, but that all changed very quickly and we couldn't stop staring at each other. I still can't quite believe he's mine. I'm sure you and Ardeth will feel the same." 

"I don't think so. We hardly know each other really....." 

"It looked like you knew each other very well upstairs," Evy pointed out, her eyes twinkling at Charlotte's embarrassment. 

"Yes, well....he's a bit overwhelming. They all are. The way his men look at me sometimes...." 

"You have to expect that. They don't fully trust any westerners, except us. And even then, they still give us wary glances. They've got a heavy duty on their shoulders and unfortunately it's mostly people from our neck of the woods that put their lives at risk. They'll get used to you." Evy frowned when she saw her young cousins face drop and her eyes mist over. "What's wrong?" 

"What if I'm not here long enough for them to get used to? What if he doesn't want anything from me except....you know..." 

"Ardeth wouldn't do that," Evy said, her frown deepening. "At least I don't think he would, not to someone who was related to us. His people generally take relationships very seriously, the only time they actually...well...dally with a female is if she's there to be paid for that purpose. Anyway, you're going to be here for a couple of months aren't you? You don't want to go home do you?" 

"I don't know. The thought of being in my own house again is almost irresistible. I don't know if I like this country at all, or the people. The only ones I've met haven't exactly been warm and welcoming," Charlotte said, looking as weary as she felt. 

"But surely Ardeth and his men were better than the men who kidnapped you?" 

"The men who kidnapped me were English, but their helpers were Egyptians. For a while I felt relieved to be with the Med-jai, but then...then it didn't feel any safer to be with them. It doesn't feel safe to be with him." She frowned as she shot a quick glance over to where Ardeth was sitting. "He seems to hate me after he kisses me and I honestly don't know how I feel about him." 

"Hmm. I suppose it's the romantic in me, but I couldn't help certain images running through my head when I saw him kissing you," Evy said, looking at the tall, dark man who was talking animatedly to her husband. "He's a good friend and you're my cousin. It would be nice to see the two of you together." 

"I only met him three days ago, so don't expect to hear the sound of wedding bells," Charlotte mumbled, feeling annoyed that she was going to be linked to Ardeth just because they had been caught kissing. "Not that I'd even consider it, even if he did ever ask. Which he won't, because he dislikes me as much as I dislike him!" 

Evy stared at her, stunned by this little outburst, quiet as it was. "Dislike isn't the word I'd use to describe how you two feel about each other. I know he shocked you when he...er...punished you, but..." 

"Punished me? He hit me really hard! It really hurt! No-one has ever hit me before, and all because I raised my voice to him!" 

"Well, yes, I know how this would look to anyone from our country, but you have to realise that they have a different set of standards to us..." Evy tried to placate her cousin. 

"Yes, they have no respect and no control when it comes to women! As far as they're concerned women are worth less than the horses and camels that they ride. Why would anybody want to stay in a country like that?" Charlotte realised her voice had started rising and lowered it with some effort before the men started noticing. "This isn't like me. It certainly hasn't been what I expected these last few days...." Charlotte broke off and wiped her hand unobtrusively over her eyes. "I'm sorry, I suppose I'm a little emotional right now. I'm tired that's all, I think I should get some sleep." 

"Maybe that's for the best. I know how these little dramas can take the stuffing right out of you! You go on up and I'll make your excuses," Evy said, standing up and patting Charlotte's shoulder. 

Ardeth turned his head, ending his conversation abruptly, and watched as Charlotte stood up and walked slowly out of the room and toward the staircase. As Evy joined them he forced his eyes away from the other girl. "Is your cousin alright?" 

Evy smiled. "She's just tired, a bit emotional. A lot's happened in the last few days." She gave Rick a quick glance and then a wicked gleam entered her eyes. "You could always go and ask her for yourself, if you're concerned?" 

Ardeth frowned as he thought about that, not realising that Evy was purposely sending him off to be alone with Charlotte. "Perhaps I should," he said absently and got up from the table, leaving the room without another word. 

"There was no need for him to go to her," Khalid pointed out as he watched his leader disappear from sight up the staircase. 

"Yeah, you could have seen if she was okay, honey. Why send Ardeth?" Rick asked her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously on her face. "What evil plan are you hatching?" 

"No evil plan. I just think that they could benefit from some time alone. After all, I interrupted them earlier, so its only fair!" 

"Interrupted them? When? Doing what?" Rick asked, his eyes gleaming with interest. 

Evy looked at the avid gazes of Ardeth's men and smiled smugly. "Ah, the things you miss when you sit around and talk man-talk!" 

Rick jabbed her gently in the ribs. "Come on, come on!" 

"Yes, we must know what our great leader has done this time!" Rachid said eagerly, grinning at Khalid as they both realised the hold they could have over their friend with this gossip. 

"Well, when I went to check on Libby I found those two...sort of twined together at the top of the stairs. They seemed a little shocked when I appeared, I can't think why." 

"Ardeth sure doesn't waste any time does he?" Rick mused, looking at Khalid and Rachid and hoping for some enlightenment. 

"The elders have been thinking that he would never choose a wife," Khalid obliged. 

"Yes, but they will be relieved to find out he has found the right woman at last," Rachid added with a shrug. 

"Won't they mind that she's not one of your own people?" Evy asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion. 

"No. For the Med-jai warriors it is not necessary to keep the blood pure. We may choose who we wish. All that is important is that we continue our line," Khalid said with a smile. "I am sure Ardeth will enjoy continuing his line with the English girl!" 

"That remains to be seen. Charlotte's in just about the right mood to throttle him," Evy said, biting her lip. 

"And you sent him upstairs to her? Are you mad?" Rick said, shooting wary glances at the staircase. 

Evy shrugged. "She said they disliked each other but, in my experience, people who dislike each other don't keep kissing each other. In fact, I bet that's exactly what they're doing right now!" 

"Well, well. For someone who confesses to want Ardeth's head on a plate, Charlotte sure seems to be able to forgive easily!" Rick said, marvelling at seeing Ardeth as a human for a change. 

The sudden loud crash from upstairs and the raised voices made them all stop talking suddenly and stand up. "Or maybe she _doesn't_ forgive so easily?" Rick said, looking concerned when another crash made itself heard. "I think we'd better go and stop whatever's happening before the house comes down around our ears!" 


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Ardeth had caught up with Charlotte just as she was about to close her bedroom door and had eased himself inside her room before she could stop him. 

Charlotte took a step back warily as he closed them in the room and stood in front of the only exit. "What do you want?" she asked quietly, her eyes large under her lowered brows. 

"I want to make sure you are alright," he replied, moving slowly toward her. "You left the room rather abruptly, I was concerned." 

"Why?" she said, moving back another two steps as he advanced. 

"You seemed troubled." he said, frowning at the way she was backing away from him. 

She gave an inelegant snort. "I wonder why that would be?" 

His frown deepened at her sarcasm. "What is the matter with you?" 

"You! You're what's the matter with me!" she burst out, hiding her unease with anger. 

"Me? What is it I have done now to so displease you? You seemed fine earlier. I do not know why I troubled myself to follow you!" Ardeth felt his temper rising at her strange attitude. 

"I didn't ask you to follow me! Maybe I just wanted to be left alone for a change!" she said, her voice rising as her feelings started churning inside her. She was beginning to like this man, but she was also scared of him and didn't understand her own feelings. Her unsettled emotions started showing themselves as anger and frustration. 

"With your attitude I am sure you will always be left alone by any man with sense!" Ardeth threw at her, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at her. 

"Meaning you have none then? Because you keep bothering me!" 

"Do not trouble yourself that it will happen again, _Miss_ Carnahan! I should rather sit in a pit of vipers than touch you again, I assure you!" he said through gritted teeth. 

Charlotte gasped as his insult actually hit home and hurt her feelings. "The feeling is mutual! I wish I'd never come to this awful country!" she said, clenching her fists as she thought of how nice it would be to punch him. 

"Then perhaps you had better go home? This 'awful country' will be better off without a woman of your sort in it!" 

"My sort? What does that mean?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips and drawing herself up to her full height which brought her head to just beneath his shoulder. 

"Do you not already know? You are a cold, nagging shrew, a woman whom no sane man would wish to have for a wife!" Ardeth said, his voice getting louder. "I do not know what I was thinking of by touching you in the first place..." he just managed to duck out of the way as she flung a perfume bottle at his head and the item smashed on the door behind him. 

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked, aghast that she had dared to try and attack him again. 

"I'm trying to teach you a lesson, you...you..." she picked up a vase that was within reaching distance and flung that at him as well, almost stamping her foot when he managed to avoid that too. 

"It is not I who needs the lesson it seems," he said as he started toward her again, his expression furious. "Do you never learn? Did the bruises I put on you before not teach you how to behave?" 

"Don't you dare touch me...." she squeaked as she hurriedly backed away from him. "If you touch me....if you hit me again I'll..." 

"You'll what?" he asked quietly as he backed her up against the wall and planted his hands either side of her head, trapping her. "You know that I will punish you if you dare to strike me again. And you know what form that punishment will take. Do you really think that your body could take another beating so soon?" He looked into her eyes, noting the fear there and the confusion. 

"You wouldn't dare do that again, not in Rick and Evy's house," she gasped out, grasping at straws because he looked like he was in just the right mood to do it again. "Get away from me." 

He raised one eyebrow. "If I choose not to move?" 

"Then I'll make you move!" she threatened rashly, her cheeks flaming with her bad temper. 

"Feel free to move me if you really think that you can," he said, giving her a hard smile, his eyes sparkling down at her with his own temper. 

She hated the confidence in his tone and in his expression, but she knew that he had every right to be confident. How on earth did you move a man this big? Her hands itched to hit him. Instead she reached up and shoved at his chest, hoping to move him enough that she could slide away from him, but what had seemed to her to be a hard shove had little impact on his solid frame and his smile got even more smug. 

"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, finding her fury more amusing than he had done previously. 

"Oooh!" she hissed and raised her foot, delivering a sharp kick to the same leg she had kicked before, then giving him another hard shove, only this time in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. 

Ardeth shouldn't have been surprised at her actions, he supposed. After all, she had done this before and managed to shock him. He just about managed to stay upright as she knocked the air out of him, and his arms stayed locked on the wall so that she still couldn't get away. 

"Will you move!" she hissed at him, furious that her attempt to escape had come to nothing. 

"No, I will not move, but I will make you pay for attacking me yet again!" he said, his voice no more than a growl as he grabbed her arm and hauled her away from the wall with him. 

"Don't you dare! Let go of me!" she squealed, trying to prise his fingers loose from her upper arm as he dragged her towards the bed. Her head turned sharply as her bedroom door opened, but Ardeth didn't hesitate as he continued pulling her with him. "Evy! Rick! Make him stop!" 

"Er...Ardeth, old buddy?" Rick said, watching the strange mix of anger and amusement on his friends face. "What are you doing?" 

"It appears that Miss Carnahan is a slow learner," Ardeth replied, sitting on the bed and pulling Charlotte so she lay across his knees. 

"Ardeth! Don't you dare! If you lay another finger on her I will never speak to you again!" Evy said, stepping over the broken remains of the vase and perfume bottle as she made her way towards her cousin who was struggling as she lay over his knees. 

"Then you are willing to take over and deal with her?" Ardeth asked, fixing Evy and then Rick with an angry look. 

"Well, as a rule we wouldn't actually punish..." Rick began, but Evy cut him off. 

"Yes, yes! We'll deal with her. Now just let her go and get out of this room, everyone!" she said, glaring at the men who had crowded into the bedroom until they finally got the hint and left. Ardeth reluctantly stood up, taking Charlotte with him before depositing her none too gently on her bed and glaring at her. 

"Pig!" Charlotte hissed through her teeth as she glared back at him. 

Ardeth's jaw clenched at her words. "I warn you...." 

"Hah!" 

"Evelyn," Ardeth said, turning his attention to the woman he had known for so long. "Friend or no friend, I will not let you stop me from punishing her if you cannot make her close her mouth!" 

"Ardeth, I think maybe you should just leave the room," Evy said, taking his arm and guiding him towards the door. "You have to understand the sort of ordeal she's just been through. You and your men are used to such things, even Rick and myself are used to it, but Charlotte has never been out of England before, never been in any sort of danger." She opened the door and drew him out of the room. "Just try and have a little patience alright? I have to admit I never knew that she had such a temper! Perhaps you just bring out the worst in her, hmm?" 

Rick moved along the landing to join them and grinned at Ardeth's angry face. "Having a little trouble?" 

"I do not understand her, O'Connell. I do not know whether to hit her or..." 

"Or kiss her, right?" Rick said, giving Evy a knowing look. "Now why does that seem so familiar? Seems I remember feeling the same way a time or two about a certain female who isn't a hundred miles away!" 

Evy swatted him and blew him a kiss, before disappearing back into Charlotte's room, leaving Rick and Ardeth to make their way back downstairs. 

"Are you okay?" Evy asked her young cousin, sitting on the bed next to her when they'd cleared up the broken glass as best they could. 

"I think so. I think I need to have my head tested though," she said wryly, attempting a smile and failing miserably. "What's the matter with me Evy? Am I suicidal or something? He's going to end up killing me if I can't learn to keep my mouth shut!" 

"Hey, don't worry about it! I could never keep my mouth shut either and Rick ended up marrying me instead of killing me. Although I have to admit, it was a close thing sometimes." She smiled and hugged Charlotte, sighing at the misery etched on the younger woman's face. "How do you feel about him?" 

"I don't know. Just when I think I really like him, he does something that scares me to death. Then he makes me really furious and I provoke him to scare me to death yet again! Then he kisses me and I like him again, but then he starts being horrible to me! I don't understand him," Charlotte said, giving a deep sigh. 

"That's funny. He just said the exact same thing about you. You really do remind me of Rick and myself when we first met, the only difference being that Ardeth's a little more forthright with his attacks than Rick ever was." She looked Charlotte in the eye. "And no matter how much I thought I hated him, I didn't really. I loved him for a long time before I actually admitted it to myself." 

Charlotte blushed. "Well I don't love Ardeth Bay! I've only known him a few days, so that's impossible." she said, lowering her eyes. 

"Is it?" Evy asked, raising her eyebrows. "Come on, get ready for bed. You obviously need a good rest after everything that's happened." She took Charlotte's robe and watched as she slipped under the sheets and settled back on the pillow. "You can sleep late tomorrow. Don't worry about Billy, we'll take very good care of him." 

Charlotte nodded, looking sad. "Evy, what if I wanted to go home? Would it be hard to arrange so soon?" 

Evy looked upset at the prospect of Charlotte leaving. "Give it a few days, okay? I can understand how you feel, but just give Egypt another chance. If you still want to go at the end of the week, then we'll arrange it somehow." 

"Thank you," Charlotte mumbled, her eyes already closing as her last few experiences caught up with her. "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble." 

"You haven't done anything wrong. Go to sleep, you're safe now," Evy said softly, switching off the light as she left the room. 

When she rejoined the others in the sitting room, all eyes turned toward her. "Is Miss Carnahan alright?" Ardeth asked, seemingly reluctant to do so. 

Evy shrugged and sat next to Rick, snuggling up to him as he put one large arm around her. "She wants to go back to England," Evy said, looking troubled at the thought. "I've asked her to give it a few days and see what this country can be like without anything bad happening. I only hope she takes my advice." 

"Well, I guess you can't blame her for wanting to leave. Not after being kidnapped, beaten then rescued by the monster of the Med-jai and beaten yet again!" Rick said, slanting Ardeth a teasing look. 

"You do not think that she will actually go?" Ardeth asked Evy, ignoring Rick's dubious sense of humour. He couldn't name the feeling that was currently clawing at his insides at the thought of the young English girl leaving his country. Leaving him. 

"I don't know. She's not exactly had a lot of incentive to stay, has she?" Evy said, watching Ardeth intently. "You know, perhaps if you showed her your more protective side, she might find a reason to remain here." 

Khalid and Rachid both snorted and gave muffled laughter at the thought of their chief actually being tender and protective to a female, but they soon hid their smiles when Ardeth pinned them with a hard glare. "Go outside and guard the perimeter of the house and stay there until I tell you to return, do you understand?" he said harshly in their own language. 

Both men instantly stood up and bowed respectfully, leaving the room with nods to Evy and Rick. 

"What did you say to them?" Rick asked curiously, watching the men quickly shed their amusement and leave. 

"I gave them something to do other than laugh at me!" Ardeth replied, sitting down on a chair opposite them. 

"Ardeth, would you mind if I asked you a personal question?" Evy asked him. 

Ardeth shrugged, trying not to look as ill at ease as he felt. "If you wish." 

"How do you feel about Charlotte? I mean, really feel?" 

He couldn't help the slight look of discomfort that crossed his face, he was unused to people asking him anything personal at all. But these were his friends and he owed them the truth at all times. "To be truthful, I am not sure. She is irritating at most times, but also fragile and delicate, as a desert bloom. She makes me want to protect her, but sometimes she makes me so angry I could happily bury her up to her neck in the sand." 

"So you find her weak then? Fragile?" Evy said, frowning. She knew that such a woman wouldn't be what Ardeth would want. 

"Yes...no. She can also be strong. She survived what those men did to her, and they beat her quite badly. She stood up to me and provoked me even though I had already shown her what an error that can be." He smiled at the fury she had shown him. "No, she is not weak. She is an odd mixture of courage and cowardice that I find...intriguing." 

"And then of course, she is very pretty," Rick put in, watching his friends discomfort grow. 

"I suppose some people may find her attractive," Ardeth said evasively. 

"Mmm-hmm. I suppose some people might also find it permissible to grab her and kiss her, too?" Rick said, grinning a wide grin at Ardeth's sudden darkened colour. 

"I did not intend to....I never thought..." Ardeth uncharacteristically stammered, then broke off and spat what sounded like Arabic curses, before taking a deep breath and raising his eyes to Rick's. "I realise that it was a bad thing to do. You are related to her and it is your duty to protect her from men. Whatever you feel I should do to make amends I will gladly do." 

Rick's grin slowly disappeared at Ardeth's humility. "Oh, for God's sake, you don't have to make amends! Charlotte makes her own decisions and if she allowed you to kiss her then she obviously wanted you to." His face took on a sly look. "Did she kiss you back?" 

Ardeth gave a reluctant smile. "Yes, she kissed me back." 

"Both times?" Evy said, raising her eyebrows. 

Ardeth's smile grew wider. "Yes, both times." 

"And that was just before you started feeling guilty and started treating her like some sort of pariah?" Evy said, her expression becoming harder. 

"I admit I thought it best to try and keep her at arms length, what with her being a relative of yours. I value your friendship, I would never knowingly do anything to harm it." 

"Well, lucky for you that you haven't then, isn't it?" Rick said, relaxing back against the sofa. 

"I think you should stay here tonight, in case of any trouble," Evy told him. "I've already made up the room next to Charlotte's. If anything happens there's a connecting door. But I don't expect you to use it unless she's in trouble, understood?" she said sharply, her voice showing her amusement at the thought of Ardeth sneaking around after lights out to have a rendezvous with her cousin. Ardeth didn't find it quite as amusing as she did, but he nodded in understanding. 

"Come on, it's late, time to get some rest," Rick said, standing up and drawing Evy up with him. "What about your men?" 

"They will stand watch until they are relieved, do not worry about them. Khalid and Rachid will stand watch until I decide that they should do otherwise, which will not be until dawn!" Ardeth said, giving a rare grin at his own wickedness. 

They all left the room and made their way upstairs, Evy and Rick leaving Ardeth at the door to his room. "Maybe you could check on her for us before you turn in?" Evy asked him, hiding her smile as she turned into her own room, Rick winking at Ardeth and following her, leaving him alone on the landing. 


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

****

Ardeth stood hesitantly at the connecting door between his room and Charlotte's. He knew that Evy had given him permission to go in and check but he felt reluctant to do so. He knew his own limitations and he found this young English woman far too tempting. He shook himself and quietly opened the door. It would not do to shy away from this, which should be part of his duty. He did, after all, protect people and Charlotte needed him. He found that thought gave him a warm feeling. 

He entered the darkened room and allowed a few seconds for his eyes to get used to the darkness before making his way over to the bed, using the faint glow from the half obscured moon to guide him. Charlotte was moving about restlessly, her brows drawn down in a frightened frown and her breath coming in small gasps. She was obviously reliving what had happened to her and Ardeth sat carefully on the edge of the bed, stroking a hand gently over her forehead. 

The reaction he got was not what he expected. She sat bolt upright suddenly and gave a frightened cry, scrambling backwards on the bed to get away from him. Two huge tears formed in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, leaving silvery trails that glowed on her skin in the light from the moon. 

"Charlotte..." he whispered, reaching towards her and taking her hands. 

"No...no...no..." she whispered, obviously still in the throes of her nightmare and seeing him as one of her captors. 

"Charlotte, shhh," he said softly, pulling her resisting body against him and hugging her tightly. "It is alright, it is me, Ardeth. I won't hurt you, little one. Calm down now, shh, shh," he kept on repeating, rocking her gently in his arms until she quieted, crying softly. 

"I'm sorry....I'm sorry," she whispered, her breath still hitching with the sobs she tried to hold back. Good God, this man would think she was nothing more than a blubbering wreck. 

"You have done nothing to apologise for. If anyone should say sorry then it is I for making your ordeal that much worse," Ardeth said, concerned beyond belief by how upset she was, how much her kidnapping was still affecting her. He swore he would do everything he could to help her get over this and protect her from anything happening in the future. 

After a while, when she had stopped crying and was laying against him quietly, he started to ease her back onto the pillows, intending to leave her to get some more sleep. But Charlotte clutched at his robes and stopped him from moving. 

"Please don't go," she whispered, staring up at his silhouette pleadingly, her eyes filling with fresh tears. 

"Charlotte, it would not be seemly for me to stay here any longer. Your reputation would be severely compromised," he explained softly, his arms nevertheless going back around her and holding her close to him. 

"I don't care about my reputation. Please don't leave me alone," she said, her arms creeping up around his neck to hold him even closer. All her previous thoughts of animosity disappeared as he comforted her, needing his strength where hers had all but failed her. 

Ardeth found that he did not have the strength himself to deny her this, and he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. "Very well, I will stay for a while," he said, disentangling her arms from around him. "First let me remove this outer robe and my belts, they will make you uncomfortable." Charlotte reluctantly let him go and he quickly stripped off the heavy outer robes, leaving him in a black tunic style shirt and loose trousers. When he returned to her he immediately drew her against him, pulling her up the bed with him so that they were both laying on the pillows, wrapped in each others arms. 

He had fully intended to wait until she dropped off to sleep and then leave, but before he knew it her warmth had sunk into him and he drifted off to sleep with her, her head nestled just under his chin. 

The first thing he became aware of the next morning were irritating voices disturbing his sleep and he reluctantly raised his eyelids to make them stop. Evy and Rick stood just inside the room with their arms folded and amused looks on their faces, looks that got worse when Ardeth suddenly realised where he was. Charlotte lay curled trustingly against him, her head and one of her hands on his chest and one of her legs curled over his while his arms were completely encircling her. The only way it could have looked worse, he decided, was if they had both been naked. 

"Well, I know we wanted you to protect her, but this seems a little extreme," Evy said, smiling. 

"Yeah. You know, your room is only a few feet away, if she had called out you probably could have gotten to her before anything happened. Did you think she'd benefit more from a closer watch?" Rick grinned at his friend's discomfort and forced himself not to laugh. 

"This is not exactly how it looks," Ardeth said hesitantly, not moving even though his first instinct was to draw away from the warmth and softness of Charlotte's body. "She was having a bad dream and asked me to stay with her. I did not intend to stay so long. Nothing happened, I assure you!" 

"And we only have your word for that?" Rick asked, looking smug. 

"You do not trust me?" Ardeth asked him, worried now that he had lost his friend's trust. 

Rick burst out laughing at the horror on Ardeth's face and the noise woke Charlotte up. "Of course I trust you, you idiot! No matter how bad the situation may look." 

"Leave him alone, you nasty thing!" Evy said, giving Rick a sharp poke in the ribs. "Good morning, Charlie. Er....sleep well?" 

Charlotte felt her face heat as she looked at the position she and Ardeth were in. She groaned and hid her face in his shoulder, not even thinking of drawing away from him, instead using him for comfort as she had the night before. Ardeth couldn't help smiling. He hugged her against him and sent Rick a defiant glare. 

"Perhaps we may have some privacy so we may make ourselves presentable?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and looking supremely confident. 

Rick had to admire his stance. He had obviously felt embarrassed at being caught in such a compromising position, but the moment Charlotte had needed him he forgot his discomfort and became his usual assertive self. He reminded Rick of himself. "Sure thing. We'll be downstairs in the dining room. Join us for breakfast when you're ready, okay?" 

"Thank you," Ardeth replied, watching with relief when his two friends left the room and closed the door behind them. 

He looked down at the small, womanly body curled against him and felt his own body respond helplessly at the sight and feel of her. This was wrong, and he knew it, but he couldn't help himself. If Allah had wanted him to have more restraint then he would have given him more self-control, he decided as he urged Charlotte's face out of the crook of his neck. 

Her soft brown eyes soon came into view, surrounded as they were by flushed skin, a flush that got worse when she saw the heated way he was looking at her. "Ardeth...?" she whispered, staring up at him as he held her face gently in one hand, his thumb stroking across her bottom lip. 

"You are so beautiful, like a flower just beginning to bloom. I cannot believe that Allah would tempt me with such beauty if it was so wrong to taste it," he said softly, his eyes lowering to her mouth seconds before he took it in a passionate kiss, his arms pulling her completely against him, smoothing her hips against his own. She felt the evidence of his arousal pressing against her and stiffened momentarily in shock, but his kiss soon emptied her head of any protests and she started kissing him back just as passionately. Her hands crept up to his neck and tangled in his beautiful hair, pulling him as close as she could get him. It wasn't close enough. 

All she could do was feel as his hands began a thorough sweep over her silk-clad body, running over her thighs and hips and up her back, before moving around her ribcage and stroking over her quivering stomach. He tried to stay away from all her tempting places, but when she uttered a small groan he couldn't resist and moved his hand slowly upwards until he could enclose one firm breast in his palm. It instantly peaked as his fingers stroked the soft skin, moving in small circles toward the hard tip. Charlotte was completely carried away by sensation and didn't have any voice to protest the intimacy. His mouth left hers to trail small kisses down her throat and he nibbled at the sensitive spot on her shoulder, making her squirm in his grasp as his beard tickled her skin. 

Her own hands were doing some exploring of their own and she was mapping all the muscles he had on his back and arms, her fingers crawling over them, frustrated at having the cloth in her way. She soon found the edge of his shirt and her hands crept stealthily under it, finally stroking his smooth skin, feeling the small scars he had in various places from old wounds. 

Ardeth groaned harshly as his restraint was sorely tested by her caresses, wanting nothing more than to strip both their clothes off and take her. The warnings about what he was doing were looming darkly at the back of his mind, but he shrugged them off for a time. His life was so full of duty and the endless barren terrain of the desert that he had no wish to draw away from this brief oasis of pleasure in his otherwise bleak existence. 

He drew the strap of her gown down over her shoulder and followed it with his mouth, sipping at the silky skin he uncovered as he pulled the strap lower still. His lips worked their way over her collar bone and down to the upper slope of her breast, his eyes taking in the untouched swell of her flesh, pearly white against the darkness of his hand. The thought that she had allowed no other man these liberties spurred him on and he bent to take the hard tip of her breast in his mouth, drawing on the pebbled flesh through the silk of her gown until she arched up against him and her hands threaded through his hair to hold him to her. 

Never in her life had she felt such pleasure and she was almost mindless with it. Whatever it was he was doing, she didn't want him to stop anytime soon. If she wasn't so caught up in it all, she would have been horrified at letting anyone touch her so intimately, but she wanted whatever he could do to her, welcomed it. 

Ardeth gave another groan of frustration, his lips releasing her flesh only to draw the thin material away from the perfection underneath, his breath catching at the soft rose and cream colours he uncovered before his mouth returned to suckling her. 

It wasn't until he moved his other hand and gently squeezed her backside that everything changed. Her soft moan became a moan of pain and she tensed against him, drawing her breath in on a sharp gasp, her eyes flying open and her senses crashing back down upon her. 

Ardeth instantly withdrew his hands from her and sat up, looking almost bewildered. "Allah," he muttered, mumbling more Arabic as he reached out to cover the flesh she still didn't have the mind to know was uncovered. "Are you alright? I hurt you?" 

Charlotte was at a total loss for words. She looked down at the large wet spot on her gown through which could clearly be seen her breast and suddenly felt horribly embarrassed, especially when her mind helpfully replayed everything that they had just done. She covered herself with her hands and sat staring at him with her mouth hanging open, her lips still swollen from his kisses. 

Ardeth felt his chest contract at the picture she made and he reached out to hold her arms, a small smile playing around his lips. "Charlotte, did I hurt you?" 

She started to shake her head, then remembered what had actually brought them to their senses and nodded instead. 

"Where?" he asked softly, his eyes melting into hers from so short a distance. 

"My...my..." she stuttered, her voice barely more than a whisper. 

"Here?" he asked again, one hand moving around her to her derriere and gently stroking. Again she nodded, ashamed at the way her body reacted to his touch. He saw the emotion clearly in her face and moved his hand back to her arm. "I am sorry I hurt you so badly. Forgive me," he said, taking both her hands and kissing them before bowing his head over them. 

Charlotte was astonished to see him doing this. For each day that she had known him he had been authoritative and stern, only showing the occasional glimpse of softness or humanity and seeming uncomfortable with it. Now he seemed at ease with this side of him. She was silent for so long that he raised his head and studied her, smiling softly. "Am I forgiven, my lady?" 

Her heart stopped beating for a moment at his words and then kicked up again at double speed. She didn't know why it should affect her so much being called his lady, but it did. She belatedly realised that he was waiting for an answer and she gave a small nod, biting her lip. 

"We should perhaps join the others before they come in search of us once again," he said, moving off the bed and pulling her slowly up with him, releasing her hands as they stood. "I will refresh myself and get properly dressed in my room. I would advise you to do the same and I will join you downstairs when you are ready." He seemed to hesitate for a second before bending and placing a soft kiss on her cheek and leaving the room. 

Charlotte placed a trembling hand over her cheek and stared at the closed door dumbly. She had a feeling that, even after all the upheaval of the last few days, her life was about to change again. 

When she had washed and dressed, she walked slowly down the stairs and joined the others in the big family dining room, blushing as Ardeth immediately stood up and pulled out a chair for her. Billy was sitting next to him on the other side, obviously very proud to be so close to his newest hero, and Libby was propped into a high chair, busily mashing her food into her hair. 

"Good morning, pumpkin," she said, moving to plant a kiss on the small boy's head before she sat down, Ardeth pushing her chair in with her solicitously. 

Evy and Rick both gave her wide smiles and knowing looks. "How are you feeling this morning?" Evy asked her, pushing a plate heaped with food towards her. 

"Fine, thank you," Charlotte mumbled, concentrating on her plate with undue interest. 

"Yeah, you looked a lot better when you woke up," Rick said quietly, filling his mouth with eggs and keeping his eyes down. 

Ardeth gave him a stern look that he didn't see, before seating himself again and starting to eat his own breakfast, his plate devoid of the meat that everyone else was eating. Charlotte noticed this and frowned. 

"Don't you want bacon?" she asked, looking at the bounty of different foods Maria had cooked for them. 

"I do not eat the flesh of a pig. These eggs will be sufficient for me, thank you," Ardeth replied, giving her a soft smile which held her transfixed until Evy cleared her throat and broke the spell. 

"Charlie, have you decided what you want to do yet? Because I have to be out at the dig-site tomorrow, which means we have to leave today and catch the boat down the Nile." She smiled at Charlotte and picked up her teacup. "I'd really like you to come with us." 

Charlotte was aware of being stared at by several sets of eyes and bit her lip. " I don't know....er....where is the dig-site?" 

"It's between Memphis and Akhetaten, quite a distance away. We have to catch the boat at midday. If all this hadn't happened then I would have remembered to tell you sooner, I'm sorry," Evy said. 

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go to this dig honey?" Rick asked her, frowning. "After all that's happened. There's still someone out there who wanted Charlotte kidnapped, and you. What if he tries it again?" 

"Do not worry. My men will accompany you at all times," Ardeth told them, pushing his now empty plate aside and reaching for his coffee. 

"And you?" Evy asked him, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at Charlotte. 

"I will be with them." 

"What about your other duties?" Rick asked him. "Haven't you got more important stuff to do than watch over us?" 

"Whoever these men were, they wanted to resurrect Imhotep. It is my duty to make sure that it never happens again," Ardeth said and then smiled. "Besides, wherever you two go, trouble is sure to follow." 

"Gee, thanks buddy. Nice to know you have such faith in us!" Rick scoffed. 

"Well, he does have a point. We've been involved both times he was brought back before..." Evy began 

"You were responsible for it the first time," Ardeth said, narrowing his eyes at her. 

"But not the second time. That was Ancksunamun's doing, not mine!" Evy said quickly, defending her actions. 

"Yeah, and let's not forget that it was you who dragged us into it all by coming to London and disturbing our peace!" Rick put in. 

"And why did I have to come to London?" Ardeth asked slowly. 

Rick fell silent and Evy bit her lip, trying to stop the smile from forming. "Because we had the bracelet of Anubis." She grinned. "Oh, alright, I'll admit that maybe I shouldn't have taken it home, but..." 

"You should never have discovered it in the first place. Still, now all is as it should be once again. For a short while at least, until you disturb another tomb or find another damaging artefact!" Ardeth shot at her, his face telling them that he held no grudges. 

Charlotte was looking from one of them to another. "I don't know how you can joke about all that's happened to you, not after some of the strange things you've seen." She shuddered. 

Rick gave a wry smile. "It's either joke about it or go mad, I suppose. You're lucky. You haven't seen anything unusual yet. Give it time, I'm sure Evy can dig up something undead to amuse you with!"  
Evy slapped his arm and rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. The only undead thing you're likely to see on this trip is _him_!" she said, nodding toward her husband and giving him an innocent smile when he glared at her. 

"Oh, you'll pay for that," Rick said to her, grabbing her wrist and tugging her as close as he could with her still sitting down. 

"Richard, behave," Evy admonished, indicating their audience. 

"You should have thought about that before you hit me," he said and growled at her. 

Libby squealed from her high chair and stretched out her arms to Rick, wanting to be part of the action. Charlotte giggled at the easy by-play between Rick and Evy, finally feeling a little more light-hearted than she had done since she'd arrived in Egypt. Ardeth stared at her as she laughed, taking in the change in her appearance when she actually smiled, and Charlotte caught that look. She didn't hold his gaze, finding it uncomfortable to do so because his looks always seemed so intense. 

"I would like to go with you," Charlotte said suddenly, surprising Evy. "But I don't want to put Billy in any more danger." 

"He can come with us, we'll be protected by the Med-jai so he'll be fine. We were going to leave Libby here at the house, too, but I think we might take her with us," Evy said, looking at her daughter as Rick lifted her out of the highchair. 

"I have an alternative suggestion, if you would allow?" Ardeth said, looking from Evy to Charlotte and back again. When Evy nodded he continued. "If you would permit, we could take the children to my village where they could remain for the time you are at the dig site. They would be perfectly safe there, no harm could ever come to them among my people, nor would anyone outside the village ever know they were there." He raised his eyebrows. "They would be well taken care of by the women. It may be a safer option than having them with you in the open where anyone could take them." 

Evy frowned as she thought about it and looked at her husband. "What do you think?" 

Rick shrugged. "Well, we were going to leave her here. It would be better if she was somewhere safer, somewhere that no harm could come to her. I say we should take both of them to his village and see what we think when we get there." 

Evy nodded and then looked at Charlotte, everyone else following her gaze and awaiting her answer. "I don't know. Are you sure he'd be safe? What if he doesn't want to go?" 

Ardeth took her hand, not seeming to care that they were in front of the others. "On my honour, he will be safe. Trust me." 

Charlotte felt herself melting under that stare and slowly nodded, receiving a smile and a kiss on the knuckles from Ardeth. "Billy, would you like to go to my village and stay with some of my people?" he asked the young boy on the other side of him. 

"Can I take my train?" Billy asked, naming one of the most important things in his life. 

"Yes, you may take your train with you," Ardeth replied, patiently. 

Billy thought about it for a second. "Can I take Charlotte with me too?" 

Ardeth smiled. "Charlotte will come with you, but she will have to leave you for a short while. However, there are other young boys in my village who can play with you. They will be warriors like me someday, and they try to learn how to fight with a sword every day. Would you like to learn how to be a warrior?" 

"Yes! Can I have a sword, like you?" Billy asked, his voice rising with excitement. 

"You may have a sword, but it will be a little different from mine," Ardeth told him. 

"A sword?" Charlotte said, frowning. "I don't like the sound of that." 

Ardeth turned his eyes to her. "Do not worry, the sword is a training weapon, made of light wood so it is easy for children to handle. I said he would come to no harm, and he will not." 

"Please say I can have a sword, Charlotte. I want to play with the other boys," Billy pleaded. 

"Well, I suppose...alright. If you're going to stay in Ardeth's village, I'd better go and pack you some clothes," she said, rising from the table. 

"You have not finished your breakfast," Ardeth said, reaching for her wrist and stopping her. 

She gave a small smile. "It doesn't matter. It won't stay where I put it once I'm on the boat, anyway." 

"You get seasick?" Evy asked her. 

"Yes. I felt awful on the way over here, so I don't imagine I'll feel any better on this next trip. At least it's only for one night." 

"You may find it isn't so bad this time," Evy said. "It's on the river, not on the sea. Not so many waves." 

"I hope not. How many clothes should I pack?" Charlotte said. 

Evy got up from the table. "I'll help you. You shouldn't need too many for young Billy here, and his clothing should be suitable. But we need to get you properly kitted out. You can't go around wearing those skirts all the time, you need some trousers." Evy told her as she led her out of the room. 


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"I've never worn trousers before," Charlotte said, never having been brave enough to actually wear the loose types that were slowly becoming fashionable in England. 

"Oh, you'll love them," Evy said, indicating her own black ones she was currently wearing. 

"Aren't they a little...tight?" Charlotte asked her, seeing how they clung to Evy's slim legs. 

"They don't feel tight, just comfortable. I've got lots of spare pairs you can have." She glanced at Charlotte as they climbed the stairs. "Don't tell me you're worried about showing your figure a little bit?" 

"I'm not sure," the other girl admitted, wondering what she'd look like in the sort of get up Evy was wearing. Evy was obviously more unconventional than she was, a free spirit, not concerned by what was currently fashionable or seen as decent to wear in public. 

"Well, let's just try some and see what they look like. They should fit okay, although you're a bit shorter than me," she said, shrugging. "We can always roll up the ends if necessary." 

They went into Evy's bedroom and the older woman quickly sorted out a few outfits she thought would be suitable for her young cousin, laying them on the bed and matching belts and boots that she had previously found a bit tight. 

"There," she said, handing one of the outfits to Charlotte. "Try these on in the bathroom and come out and show me." 

Charlotte dubiously took the clothes and hurried off to change, staring at herself in the full length mirror with a touch of worry. The trousers did cling, but weren't too bad as she had a smaller build than Evy. The blouse was black, as were the trousers, and she had tucked it in to the waistband, the thin material flowing loosely over her curves. A large belt and knee length boots completed the picture and she had to admit that she now looked more like an adventurer than the typical British lady she had been. She exited the bathroom and Evy looked her up and down and smiled. 

"Oh, yes, that's much better. They fit you far better than they did me, even the boots. Come on, we'll pack these things and then get Billy's stuff ready." 

"What about your clothes?" Charlotte asked as she was hustled out of the room. 

"Oh, I always have a few bags packed for when we go out to a dig. I even have some of Libby's things put together, so I'll be ready in a jiffy. Let's just get you ready so we don't keep the men waiting!"  
Sooner than Charlotte would have thought possible they were walking down the staircase carrying medium sized soft bags to meet Ardeth and Rick, who were talking in the hall holding a child each. Ardeth seemed incredibly at ease with Billy, and the young boy seemed to be content with the man. 

"Are you all ready?" Rick asked, leaning down to kiss Evy and hand over Libby. 

"Yes, all set," Evy replied, indicating Charlotte. "What do you think of Charlie's new outfit?" 

Charlotte felt the heat of Ardeth's gaze sweep over her, lingering on her curvy hips and slim legs. 

"She looks like she'll be much more comfortable," Rick said, eyeing Ardeth. "Nice fit, huh?" 

"The clothes fit her very well," Ardeth managed through a suddenly tight throat. In truth he could think of nothing else to say after getting a good look at such an enticing figure. Charlotte blushed at his perusal and tore her eyes away, smiling at her little brother. "Excited?" she asked him, reaching out to stroke his hair out of his eyes. 

He nodded and played with Ardeth's hair. "Can we go now?" 

"It is a little early," Ardeth said, looking at the large clock in the hallway. "But since we are all ready, we can take a slow journey to the port. The boat will be there a good hour before it sets off, so we will be able to board." 

"Don't you need a ticket?" Charlotte asked and then a thought occurred to her. "Do we actually have tickets for all of us?" 

"We've got tickets for some of us," Evy said. "We can get more at the port, don't worry." 

"Are you sure? What if they're booked up or..." 

"We will have no problem with the tickets, I assure you," Ardeth said, putting Billy down and reaching to take her bags from her nerveless fingers. "The Med-jai are well known in Cairo." 

She supposed he meant that he could basically get anything he wanted, but she didn't feel like she should ask, so she remained quiet and nodded. "So, how long will it take to get to your village? Is it along the Nile? Are we going there first?" Once she'd asked the first question her brain started working properly again and she tried to voice all the niggling little things that were plaguing her. 

Ardeth actually laughed and she stopped talking to stare at him, not noticing that she wasn't the only one doing any staring. Evy and Rick weren't used to the sound of an amused Ardeth and they both stared and then smiled. 

"We will stop at the dig site briefly and drop your bags off. Then we will continue on to my village on horseback, if you are not too tired," Ardeth replied patiently, still amused by the questions she suddenly fired at him. 

"How long will it take to get to the dig site then? Evy said it was just overnight, so why should we be tired?" 

Evy gave an amused frown as she stared at her cousin, wondering where all the bashfulness had gone. She realised that, given the chance, Charlotte would actually be quite a lot like she was, it was just that she'd never had the chance to break free from her slightly stuffy upbringing and be herself. 

Ardeth continued answering questions as they exited the house, loading the bags into the back of Rick's big car. "The boat trip is overnight, it is true, but it will also take up most of tomorrow. We will not arrive at the dig site until near sunset. If you wished to stay there for the night that would not be a problem." He opened the car door for Charlotte and held her hand as she slipped inside, taking Billy with her. "Was there anything else?" 

"Your village? Is it on the Nile?" 

He shook his head. "No, it is far from the Nile. It will take us some time to ride there, but the journey is best done overnight, when it is cooler. You will like my village, I think. It is centred around an oasis and is very beautiful, very relaxing. The boy will like it too, once he has some company of his own age." 

Charlotte nodded and Ardeth shut her door, moving around to the front passenger side. Evy sat in the back with Libby on her lap, leaving the front seat for the men. "What about Jonathan?" Charlotte asked her. 

"He knows where we're digging, he'll join us there when he arrives, or sometime soon after," Evy replied, smiling at Charlottes animation. "Are you, by any chance, excited by this coming adventure?" 

Charlotte smiled. "A little bit, yes. I've never really been anywhere before, except to that Hamunaptra place, and I didn't see much of that." 

"Nor will you ever," Ardeth assured her, leaning over the front seat to talk to her as they set off towards the port. "It is an evil place, not somewhere for an innocent girl to be. I am grateful that we were watching you." 

"So am I," Charlotte said quietly and turned her attention to the streets they were driving through. 

Rick took the more scenic route to the port, pointing out things that Charlotte had not yet had a chance to discover for herself. It took them an hour to drive to the boat, after having stopped briefly to take in the vista of the pyramids. 

Ardeth helped her out of the car, taking Billy from her arms and swinging the boy high up onto his shoulders, much to the child's delight. Charlotte smiled at the picture they made, the dark warrior acting so carefree and treating the boy like he was his own child. The dazzling smile he suddenly turned on her made her knees tremble and she hurriedly busied herself with taking her bags from the car. 

"Allow me," Ardeth said from just behind her, having moved so quickly that she was shocked by his proximity. He took the bags from her hands, still balancing Billy on his shoulders, and led the way towards the large boat they would be travelling on. After a few words and several smiling exchanges with a man whom Charlotte assumed was the captain, they were taken below decks and shown into two spacious cabins. 

Rick and Evy had a room with a small cot in it and a double bed, and Charlotte was given a room with two beds in it. She eyed Ardeth as he set her bags on the bed and put Billy down, automatically holding his hand when the boy refused to leave his side. 

"Where are you going to sleep?" Charlotte asked quietly. 

"I will sleep up on deck, under the stars," he replied, his eyes narrowing in amusement. "Did you think that I intended to take one of these beds?" 

Charlotte blushed under his intense scrutiny and averted her eyes. Billy had no such problems, tugging at Ardeth's hand. "You can stay in my bed with me, can't you?" he asked, all big eyes and hope. 

Ardeth crouched down next to him and ruffled his hair. "I would enjoy staying with you both tonight, but it would be wrong of me to do so. I do not think your sister would wish me to stay," he said, glancing up at Charlotte as she continued to keep her eyes averted. 

Billy turned and grabbed his sister's hand. "Charlotte, you want Ardeth to stay don't you?" 

She looked at Billy, wondering what to say. "He can't stay in here Billy, it wouldn't be right," she said finally. 

"Why not?" he insisted. "Uncle Rick is staying with Aunt Evy." 

"Yes, but they're married, it's different," Charlotte tried explaining. 

"Can't you and Ardeth be married as well?" Billy asked with his childish logic. 

"No," Charlotte said slowly, aware that Ardeth was staring at her with those intense dark eyes. 

"Why not?" Billy asked again, not to be put off so easily. 

"Well, because, when two people get married, they..." she began, then stopped clearing her throat. How to explain this to a four year old? "When people want to get married, they're usually in love with each other and..." 

"You love Ardeth, don't you?" Billy asked, staring up at her and then looking up at his hero with worshipful eyes. "I love Ardeth, so you can be married, can't you?" 

Charlotte blushed as Ardeth chuckled. "Do you love me Charlotte? Is Billy correct?" 

She started to feel irritated at his arrogant attitude and the fact that she couldn't keep the colour from her face. "No, no I do not love you!" she burst out, just as Rick and Evy stepped into the room. 

Rick raised his eyebrows and grinned at Ardeth, receiving a wide smile in return. "What's all this talk about love?" he asked, giving Charlotte an amused look. 

"Miss Carnahan is fighting her feelings toward me," Ardeth said, his tone light. 

"I don't have any feelings towards you!" Charlotte denied, gasping at his arrogance. 

"No?" he said, arching an eyebrow over his dancing, amused eyes. "Are you quite sure?" His voice had lowered and something about his tone made her think of that morning and what had occurred between them. Her face grew even hotter and she turned away from everyone, pretending to be absorbed in the view from the porthole, even though the boat was not moving. 

Evy smacked Rick's arm and then did the same to Ardeth, receiving a shocked stare from him. Women simply did not attack him in this country and he was finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that these two British women found it permissible to strike him. Not that it had hurt, he thought, but still. 

Evy laughed. "Don't look so surprised! You men need to be kept in line somehow, and this is the best way I know. Now, shoo, both of you and take the children with you. Leave me and Charlotte alone for a while!" 

She waited patiently until the two men left, obediently taking a child each. "There, now we've got rid of them you can tell me exactly what you were talking about when we came in the room!" Evy said eagerly, sitting on one of the beds and staring at Charlotte expectantly as she turned from the window. 

"Not what you probably think. Billy wants Ardeth to stay in here tonight, and he couldn't understand why I said no. He thinks we should be married so he can stay with us, and he said he loves Ardeth so it will all be fine!" Charlotte shook her head. 

"I see. But why were you telling Ardeth you didn't love him?" 

"Because Billy asked if I loved him and then Ardeth asked the same. He is so arrogant!" Charlotte fumed, thinning her lips. 

"Hmm, I know exactly what you mean. Him and Rick could be twins with the way they act sometimes." She looked at Charlotte thoughtfully, went to say something and then obviously thought better of it. "Come on, let's go up on deck, it's nearly time to cast off." 

They joined the others at a table near the railings and Charlotte was shocked by the array of weapons Rick had spread out in front of him, cleaning them whilst Ardeth held both children. 

Evy smiled at her husband, reminded of when they had first been on this trip together and he had brought out a similar amount of weaponry. She had gotten used to the wicked looking blades and guns since then, and knew how much they were needed. 

"Here," Ardeth said, motioning to the chair next to him. "Come and sit down and take one of these children. I find I am being attacked by this small one," he said, smiling at Libby as she pulled his beard. 

Charlotte sat down slowly and took the pudgy little girl, cuddling her as she found her own face being explored by the little fingers. She ignored Ardeth, smiling once at her brother and then examining the weapons on the table. 

"Do you really need all of these? Do you use them?" she asked Rick, frowning at a curved blade with a serrated edge. 

"I've used them in the past," Rick replied, concentrating on rubbing down one of his guns. "I like to be prepared for whatever might come at me. Luckily, we've got Ardeth too, so we shouldn't have any problems." 

"Do you think we might have, then?" Charlotte asked, worry clearly evident on her face. She jumped when Ardeth put his hand over hers, squeezing it comfortingly. 

"We cannot guarantee that we will be entirely safe. But I can guarantee that the children will be," he said. 

She nodded and withdrew her hand from his, feeling uncomfortable with his display of affection, if that was what it was. She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye and was glad when movement on the dock below distracted her. They were casting off. 


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

She watched as Cairo slowly receded, the boat moving out into the wide river and picking up a little speed as it got clear of other river traffic. Charlotte stood up and moved towards the side to get a better view, still holding Libby. She had to admit that Evy had been right. So far the motion of the boat wasn't at all bad, merely little dips and rises as opposed to the great surges the ship had made when it was at sea. Her stomach remained calm for now, but she would wait for an hour or two to make sure she would be capable of eating. 

Ardeth and Rick started talking about old times again and Evy joined in, adding little bits of information about the dig they were going to. Charlotte listened with one ear as she gazed at the waters passing by and the greenery at the sides of the river, enjoying the sight of the people going about their business, tending crops and fishing. It was very peaceful. 

She glanced up as Evy took Libby from her with a smile and then Ardeth came to stand next to her. "It is beautiful, is it not?" he asked, indicating the view as they chugged slowly along. 

She nodded, taking a deep breath of the warm air. "It's lovely. I never realised there was so much greenery along here. I thought it was all desert." 

"Many westerners have that belief when they come here. But this is a fertile land, especially near the river. Many farmers work here and produce crops that are sold to the entire country. It is not all sand and dust, Charlotte, nor is it all dangerous and hostile." He smiled down at her and then turned his eyes away to stare at the banks of the river again. "I hope you will allow me to show you the Egypt I know, show you how beautiful it can be?" 

"I'd like that," she replied shyly, gripping the railing a bit tighter as her stomach flip-flopped at his soft tone. "What's your village like? The people?" 

"You will like them, and I am certain they will like you, too. The village is large, houses built of sandstone are everywhere. Once we used to be nomadic, but over the last twenty years, we have settled. The oasis suits us." 

"Who will be looking after the children?" 

He smiled. "My mother and my aunts will take on the responsibility, and they will enjoy it. It is some years since they have had a child to pamper," he said. 

"You don't have any children?" Charlotte asked, trying to look nonchalant. She knew that these men could marry many times and she didn't know if he had a wife at home. She didn't think so, hoping that someone would have mentioned it to her, considering the way he had been with her. 

"No. Not yet," he answered softly, reaching out a hand to take her chin and draw her face around so he could look into her eyes. "I am not married, if that is what you are asking." 

"It's not....I didn't..." 

"Despite what you may have heard about my countrymen, I do not believe in having more than one wife. Were I married I would never have touched you in the first place and so dishonoured my wife. I have more honour than that," he told her, looking deadly serious. 

"I didn't mean..." she began, feeling uncomfortable again. 

He smiled, his features softening. "It is alright. Come, let us take a walk around the deck. Is your stomach feeling ill yet?" 

He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, guiding her around the deck in a very gentlemanly fashion whilst Evy and Rick took the children. "I feel fine, at the moment." 

"Hmm," he said, looking down at her, amused by the disparity in their heights. She barely came up to his shoulder. "I would imagine if you were going to be ill, you would already have begun to feel it. Perhaps you will be able to enjoy this trip?" 

"I hope so," she murmured, trying to keep her legs from trembling at being so close to him again. 

"Would you care for a drink of some sort? Tea?" he asked her as they neared what looked like a makeshift bar. A short, fat man stood behind the counter, setting out cups and saucers. The delicate china looked out of place on such a boat and Charlotte gave a small giggle at the sight before she could stop herself. 

Ardeth's eyebrow rose up. "Something amuses you?" 

"It just looks...funny," she said lamely, still smiling. The short, fat man looked up and beamed at her, showing a few stumpy teeth that were hideously discoloured. But he was obviously friendly and she smiled back. "I would like some tea, if that's alright?" 

Ardeth bowed slightly and led her to a small table at the front of the boat, leaving her for a few moments to fetch two cups of tea. She noticed that he didn't exchange money with the other man and wondered why. 

Ardeth read her curiosity correctly and sat down opposite her. "The man is a friend of the Med-jai. He would never charge us for the tea, or for anything else. We have helped him in the past," he explained, lifting his tea to sip slowly at it. 

Charlotte studied him over the rim of her cup. "You've killed a lot of people haven't you?" 

He nodded grimly. "I have killed a lot of bad people, Charlotte, there is a difference." 

"I know. I've just never really had anything to do with death, only my parents and those were of natural causes. Well, maybe not natural, but they weren't killed by anybody. My life was very dull until I came here," she said wryly, managing to smile now after what had happened. 

Ardeth stared at her until she lifted her eyes to his. "You are very strong. You are already recovering from your ordeal," he said, smiling. 

"It could have been worse," she said, frowning as she thought of what the men had wanted to do. "Do you know yet who they were working for?" 

Ardeth shook his head. "Not yet, but we will know shortly, my men will not fail," he said confidently. 

Charlotte remained silent, drinking her tea and thinking of what his village might be like. 

The next morning Charlotte went up on deck and joined the others at a table near the bar, thanking Evy as she pushed a plate in front of her. "Eat. How do you feel?" 

"Very well, thank you. I'm a bit surprised really, not getting sick at all, and I slept like a baby." 

"No dreams?" Ardeth asked, pinning her with a dark look. 

She blushed as she remembered what had happened last time she had slept badly, and Ardeth gave a small smile at her heightened colour. "No...er...no dreams at all," she mumbled, biting into a roll and hoping she could distract her wayward thoughts. 

Thankfully, the conversation went on around her as they travelled up the Nile towards their destination, and Charlotte relaxed and ate her breakfast, smiling at Billy as he monopolised Ardeth. 

The morning passed fairly quickly, Charlotte sitting with Evy and listening with interest as her cousin read some legends from a book she had with her. Evy always seemed to be carrying a bundle of books with her wherever she went, Charlotte noticed, finding it quite amusing that even in the desert Evy would be found reading. Shortly before lunch Billy came rushing along the deck, wearing a sheet around him like the Med-jai robes, smears of colour on his cheeks denoting him as a warrior. 

Charlotte laughed as he stood next to her. "What's all this?" she asked him, pointing to what actually looked like smudges of chocolate on his cheeks and forehead. 

"I'm a woryer!" Billy said proudly, puffing up his small chest and putting his hands on his hips to strike the appropriate pose. "Ardeth said I can have a sword. Can I have a sword now?" 

Ardeth walked up beside him and crouched down, turning the boy's face in his big hand. "You have the marks of a warrior?" he asked him, smiling. 

"Yes, I'm a woryer like you." Billy said, gazing at Ardeth's face. 

"Not quite yet. When you receive the marks, they will be because you have earned them. As for the sword, you may have one when we reach my village and not before." 

Billy surprised Charlotte by nodding and not being too disappointed. She had expected him to whine and plead, but he was acting very grownup at the moment, probably to impress Ardeth. "Come," Ardeth said, taking the boy's hand. "I will show you how to wear your 'robes' in the proper fashion. Then we will fetch food for everyone." He gave a slight bow and a smile to Charlotte before walking away with Billy, the boy chatting excitedly to the man as they disappeared from sight. 

"Ardeth's very patient with him," she mused. 

Evy nodded. "Yes, he's good with children. He was always good with Alex and now I'm sure he'll be the same with Libby. That's if Rick ever puts her down!" Evy said, watching her husband parading around the deck with their daughter on his shoulders. 

Ardeth and Billy returned after a while, laden down with trays of food that they placed in front of the women. Billy was very proud that he had managed to carry a tray all by himself without dropping anything. Rick joined them and they all sat to have a pleasant lunch, chatting about the forthcoming dig. 

"An old friend of mine from the museum is in charge of the dig at the moment, second only to me of course!" Evy said cheerfully. "His name's Grayson Johns, but everyone calls him Gray. You'll like him, I think," she said, looking at Charlotte. "He's very olde worlde English gentleman." 

"How old is he?" Ardeth asked, trying not to sound too interested. If Evy thought Charlotte would like him, was it because he would be a match for her? He did not like that thought. 

"Gray? Oh, he must be about...53? 54? He taught me a lot of what I know today." Evy said, smiling as she remembered times past. 

"Yeah, I remember him. Bit of a womaniser, by all accounts," Rick said, frowning. "I'm glad I'm going to be with you on this dig. I wouldn't want you to be alone with that man." 

Ardeth frowned at Rick's response. "A womaniser? he treats women badly?" 

"Not too badly, no. He just likes them a lot, any women at all, short, tall, fat, thin...he isn't fussy, put it that way," Evy said dryly. 

Ardeth shot a glance at Charlotte and Evy could see he was worried. "He's easily warned off," she said quietly and Ardeth nodded. Charlotte was oblivious to what they were going on about and continued with her lunch. 

Ardeth watched with amusement as she ate a huge amount of food and washed it down with the sweet, mint tea he had brought her. "Had enough?" he asked her, arching one eyebrow. 

Charlotte blushed as she realised she was being watched by everyone. "I didn't really eat a lot over the last few days," she mumbled, dropping her gaze to her plate. 

"Well, you sure made up for that now," Rick remarked, grinning as his wife slapped him. 

"I don't normally eat that much," Charlotte tried to defend herself. 

"Do not worry. It is good to see you eating a substantial meal for once. I should be pleased to see you do so again," Ardeth said reassuringly and Charlotte relaxed somewhat. 

She still found it strange being amongst people who spoke their mind and joked about odd things, but she was slowly getting more used to it. That didn't stop it being a relief when Billy managed to take some of the attention away from herself. 

She managed to remain inconspicuous for the remainder of their voyage and soon Evy pointed out the place they would be making land. There were temple ruins in the distance, dotted in amongst the endless sands, and Charlotte could see groups of men wearing traditional robes digging in amongst them, tents set up a short distance from the river bank. 

"Will we be staying in one of those tents?" Charlotte asked, looking toward the white billowing canvas shapes. 

"Yes. You'll have your own, of course, and me and Rick will have our own." 

"What about Ardeth and his men?" 

"They'll have their own tents, as well, although some of them will have to share. They usually arrange their own lodgings for wherever they stay, as you must know," Evy said, smiling. 

Charlotte nodded and refocused her attention back on the rapidly approaching river bank. This would be a whole new adventure, she thought, and hopefully one without danger this time. 

Professor Grayson Johns met them as they disembarked from the boat, shaking hands with everyone. When he got to Charlotte he grasped her hand warmly in both of his and stared intently down at her, his eyes glinting as he took in her face and figure. "Charming," he said, raising her hand for a kiss that she attempted to tug away from. "Simply charming," he continued, his eyes glittering into hers. 

There was something she didn't like about him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He wasn't bad looking, very distinguished and not a hair out of place. But his eyes had been strangely cold as he looked at her, despite his general appearance of being enchanted. It made a shiver work it's way up her spine. 

"Allow me to show you to your tent, Miss Carnahan. Or may I call you Charlotte?" he asked smoothly, taking her elbow in a surprisingly strong grip and leading her away. 

Ardeth noticed the slight panicked look in her eyes and stepped in front of them, taking her arm away from the professor and pulling her near him possessively. "Do not trouble yourself, professor. I promised Miss Carnahan that I would take care of her whilst she was in my country, and I intend to keep that promise." He nodded curtly at the professor and walked away, still holding on to Charlotte, who breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Thank you," she said quietly, looking back once over her shoulder to find the professor watching them with those oddly cold eyes. 

"It is my pleasure. You did not seem to appreciate his advances," Ardeth replied, pulling back the flap of the tent that would be hers and escorting her inside. 

"I don't think he was making advances...." 

"Believe me, Charlotte, he was making advances. I could see his intentions clearly in his face. Do not ever let yourself be alone with him." 

At any other time Charlotte might have felt annoyed at his possessiveness, but after having met the professor it was welcome. "I won't," she said softly and tore her gaze away from his, examining the tent. 

"It's bigger than I thought it would be," she mused, comparing it to the tent she had stayed in when Ardeth rescued her. "It's very hot in here though." 

Ardeth smiled. "You will get used to it in time. Now, let us prepare for the next stage of our journey. I am looking forward to showing you my village." 

"You are?" Charlotte said, secretly delighted that he wanted her to see where he lived. 

He smiled at her. "Yes, I am. Come, my lady, I will show you to your horse." 

They spared enough time to have a bite to eat and to load the horses with the children's bags, then Ardeth helped her up onto the horse. She had expected him to simply boost her into the saddle, but instead he lifted her by her waist and sat her on the horse with ease. 

Rick rode with Libby in front of him, holding on to her tightly, and Ardeth picked up Billy, placing him in front of him in a similar fashion, showing the young boy how to hold the reins and control the animal. Billy enjoyed the ride for a while, Ardeth letting him steer the horse this way and that and indulging his curiosity, but before long he started to droop a bit in the saddle and his eyes slowly closed. 

Patient as always, Ardeth cuddled the small body against him and took the reins, pulling part of his robe around Billy's shoulders as he slept. Charlotte rode nearby, feeling vaguely jealous that it wasn't her sitting in the saddle in front of Ardeth. But then she remember the last time she had been in such a position, and of how painful her backside had been because of his beating. She still had the bruises and this ride was only marginally more comfortable on her rear, but it was bearable. Why then did she have such soft feelings for the man now? She should hate him. In truth, she felt anything but hatred towards him, and her eyes softened as they looked at his tall, proud figure on the horse. 

Ardeth turned and caught that stare, giving it back in equal measure, his eyes doing a quick sweep of her body before returning to her face. He gave her such a devastatingly beautiful smile that she found she couldn't continue looking at him, her heart doing flip flops in her chest. She heard him chuckle as she quickly looked away, her cheeks heating at the intensity of his stare. 


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

After a few hours night had fallen, and they were riding along in the pitch blackness of the desert. Ardeth had moved his horse closer to her as if he sensed she needed the security. He looked at her in the darkness, seemingly able to see even without light. "You are tired," he stated softly, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "We will stop soon and you can rest for a while."  
"I don't want to be a nuisance. We can carry on, honestly, I'll be fine!" 

"You are not a nuisance, my lady, and you do need a rest," he insisted, moving his horse away from her and up to the front of their group to talk with Rick. 

A short while later they stopped at a small oasis, and Ardeth helped her down from the horse, holding on to her as her legs shook from the exercise. She looked around as men appeared out of the darkness and gave a small sigh of relief when she realised it was Khalid and Rachid, leading some of the Med-jai. 

They greeted Ardeth and soon everyone was resting around a fire, eating dried foods and talking animatedly. Charlotte remained quiet and just watched everyone, feeling worn to the bone and wanting nothing more than to get a good sleep. But she knew there wasn't time for such luxuries tonight and that they would soon be back on top of the uncomfortable animals and riding for more hours. She supposed she would get used to riding horses one day, but at the moment it was about as comfortable as sitting astride a stone wall for several hours. 

She gave a heartfelt sigh as the others started moving to prepare to leave again and she reluctantly stood up, feeling the ache in her backside and legs as she did so. Billy didn't seem to have any such trouble, happily bouncing about around Ardeth and the other men and waiting to be put back on the horse. 

Ardeth had been watching carefully as Charlotte picked herself up and went to mount her horse. She had difficulty raising her leg to get it in the stirrup and he frowned as he realised she must be feeling stiff from all the riding. He took Billy and handed him to Khalid, telling him that he would be looking after the boy for the remainder of the journey. Khalid grinned at the small boy and soon he was telling Billy little titbits of information about the desert, not in the least phased about having the care of the youngster. 

Ardeth turned back to find Charlotte leaning her face against the saddle, frustrated at having not been able to mount the stupid animal! He found himself smiling. 

Charlotte jumped when Ardeth picked her up this time and prepared to sit on the horse's back again, but he carried her away from her horse and deposited her on the back of his instead. 

"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly as the others nudged each other and grinned. 

"You are stiff and sore, are you not?" he asked her, arranging her so she sat side-saddle as she had done before. At her nod he continued, "then it is wise for you to ride with me for the remainder of the journey." 

"But...won't that look...er...bad, when we reach your village?" 

"To who?" 

"To your people?" 

"Why should it?" he asked as they started moving off. 

"Because...well...I'm English...and you're..." she faltered, not knowing what to say. 

"You are not one of my countrywomen, Charlotte, but that does not matter. No-one will think anything of you riding in with me, do not worry," he said, pulling her closer to him under the cover of darkness. 

Charlotte nuzzled against him and enjoyed the warmth of his body whilst no-one could see them, chewing her lip as she thought about what he had said. "Why wouldn't anyone think anything of it? Do you always bring women into your village?" she couldn't help asking him. 

He chuckled. "No, you are the first that I have ridden in with. Why? Are you jealous?" 

"I...no..." she began and he cut her off by putting his mouth gently over hers and kissing her softly. 

"I would not mind if you were," he said, his voice only loud enough for her to hear. 

Charlotte felt shy with him and didn't answer, but she also didn't move away from him, instead relaxing against him and letting the movement of the horse and his warmth lull her to sleep. 

Ardeth sighed as he felt her relax completely and he kissed the top of her head, wishing that they had met under different circumstances. But whatever had happened between them thus far, he intended to make her his. It did not enter his head what she might want, his only thoughts were what he now wanted and how best to tell the elders of his plans. They would agree to a marriage between them, he knew, because as leader of the Med-jai he had certain privileges. Besides, the elders trusted his judgement. He smiled. They would enjoy meeting the O'Connells as he had often spoken of them. They respected them as Ardeth had come to respect them and, hopefully, their welcome would extend to Charlotte too. 

"Insh'allah," he murmured, looking heavenward briefly before concentrating once again on the journey. God willing. 

Charlotte woke slowly, fighting through the layers of sleep to find out what was tickling her cheek. She opened her eyes and found Ardeth smiling down at her as he stroked her face gently, saying her name in his deep, velvety voice. 

She blinked as she realised it was approaching dawn, the sky a dull blue with colours beginning to creep along the horizon as the sun started it's journey. "We are approaching my village. You must wake up now," Ardeth told her, smiling as she looked blearily around, trying to get a first glimpse of his village. 

"Where is it?" she asked, her voice husky from sleep. All she could see were huge sand dunes and rocks, nothing out of the ordinary. 

"Look over there," Ardeth said, turning her head gently with his hand until she was looking in the right direction. "You see those rocks, just beyond the largest dune? My village lies beyond that, but you cannot see it until you are on the rise as it lies in a valley surrounding an oasis." 

"It sounds beautiful," she whispered, looking at him and not the view. 

"It is beautiful," he replied, caught by the heated look she gave him. He almost went to kiss her again, but remembered himself just in time. His men were watching and he did not want her to be spoken about. Thinking about that he called Khalid and Rachid over and spoke to them sharply about the kiss they had previously witnessed. He knew that none of his western friends could understand Arabic and so felt safe talking in front of them, despite the fact that Billy sat in front of Khalid watching him with big eyes. 

"You must not speak about her to our people, I do not want gossip spread and harming her good name, do you understand?" 

"Come, Ardeth, we are not blind. We can see how you feel about this girl," Khalid said, grinning as he looked at the young woman in Ardeth's arms. 

"Yes, my friend," Rachid said, his grin almost as wide as Khalid's. "We would not talk about the woman who is already your wife." 

Ardeth frowned. "What do you mean?" 

"You shared a room with her, a bed. She is now your wife. I assume you intend to tell the elders?" Khalid said, a big satisfied smile on his face. 

"We did nothing," Ardeth said, trying to defend his actions. 

"We do not know that," Khalid said. "You were in her room all night. You know the rules!" 

Ardeth smiled at his friend's continued teasing. "Yes, I know them very well. However, even if I had not spent the night in her room, I would still make her my wife." 

Rachid and Khalid nodded as one. "We know this. Congratulations, my friend. I hope the elders will be pleased with your choice." 

"I am sure they will be," Ardeth replied, looking down at the woman in his arms, finding her staring up at him in confusion. 

"One thing, my friend," Khalid said as Rachid rode off. "Does the lady in question know she is your wife? You may feel the lash of her temper if it is not what she wishes!" 

"Not yet, and I am hoping she takes the news well. As for her temper, well, to be truthful I find it rather stimulating!" He grinned at his friend and spurred his horse to move faster, giving Billy a pat on the head as he rode past Khalid. 

Charlotte stretched her neck to try and see over the rise as the horse climbed, but she couldn't get a glimpse of the village until they were actually at the top and Ardeth stopped for a few seconds, pointing to the surprisingly large amount of houses below them. Charlotte caught her breath at the beauty of the scene in front of her. 

There was a large oasis, very large, surrounded by trees and shrubbery, some of it obviously cultivated. A small stream ran down from some rocks into the enormous pool, fed by an underground spring. Sections of land had been cleared and were being used to grow crops, irrigated very professionally by the people who were tending them. It was a hubbub of activity, many people milling around and small children shrieking with laughter as they played. A corral was at the outskirts for the horses and a large fenced area was currently being used by several men, teaching younger children and teenagers how to fight. It was not as primitive as Charlotte would have expected. 

A shout went up from below and all of a sudden people started running towards them, big grins appearing on their faces as they welcomed home their warriors. Charlotte moved about restlessly as the crowd approached, feeling incredibly conspicuous sitting in front of Ardeth. 

"Be still, my lady," Ardeth murmured in her hair, not sounding in the least bit worried. 

"Shouldn't I get down?" 

Ardeth leaned his head sideways and studied her worried face. "Do not fear my people, Charlotte. You will be perfectly safe." 

"I know, I just..." she shook her head, biting her lip, "..it doesn't matter." 

She felt his chest rumble behind her as he chuckled. "You are shy. Do not be, I will not leave you." 

He had no time to say anything else as the people had now reached them and were all speaking at once, shaking hands and chattering excitedly. They looked at Charlotte and the O'Connells with interest, but none of them were remotely unfriendly, merely curious as they stared at these newcomers. 

Ardeth spoke to them in their own language and Charlotte caught Rick and Evy's names, watching with fascination as they were surrounded by a crowd and helped down from their horses with the utmost courtesy. Obviously, these people had heard of the O'Connells before and were pleased to meet them. Libby and Billy were taken from the horses by some of the men and examined, one man saying something to Ardeth and laughing as he held up Billy in front of him, looking at the makeshift robes he had insisted on wearing. 

Ardeth laughed and leaped down from the horse, leaving Charlotte clutching the saddle and feeling uncomfortable. he finished speaking with the man and turned to help her down, his face wreathed with smiles. 

"Salin says that Billy will make a fine warrior, once he has the correct clothing. He says he is a strong boy and that you should be proud to have such a son!" 

"But..." 

"I have informed him that Billy is your brother, my lady. But they are also curious about you, too," Ardeth said, holding onto her hand even when she would have drawn it away at the curious looks they received. 

The man he had called Salin approached them, still holding Billy, and spoke quietly to Ardeth, but not so quietly that they weren't soon joined by others. 

Ardeth gave her a warm smile and drew her closer to him, speaking loudly enough for the entire group to hear whatever it was he was saying. She heard her name, but that was the only thing she understood. A cheer went up from the gathered crowd and some of them ran back down the hill towards the village, shouting something to the villagers who were near enough to hear them. 

"What did you say to them? Why are they so excited?" Charlotte asked, feeling her face flush at the intense stares she received. Some women approached her and gently reached out to touch her hair, fascinated by it's colour. 

"I will tell you later, when we have more time. For now, go with Samira, the tall woman just there, she will show you where you can refresh yourself and rest for a while. I will join you as soon as I can." 

Charlotte turned startled eyes to him. "You said you wouldn't leave me," she said, her voice wobbling dangerously. 

"I will be but a few minutes. Evy and Rick will be with you, do not worry," Ardeth said, watching as Samira came and led Charlotte away, Rick and Evy following. He frowned. He didn't like having to leave her, but he had to talk to the elders and he knew that it couldn't wait. Charlotte would have to get used to him being absent for a lot longer than a few minutes, but he knew that by the time that happened she would have befriended some of the villagers. 

It took him half an hour to talk to the elders, and he emerged from the meeting building situated in the centre of the village, relieved to be out in the daylight at last. They had been full of questions and also full of worries, all of which he had done his best to calm. Some had been pleased that he had finally made a choice, others had been concerned that it was a westerner. But they had all come around in the end. The only dissent now was his request that the wedding wait until he had returned from the dig after a month. Until then, he wanted nothing said to Charlotte. 

The old eyes had looked at him with disapproval. "Does the woman not know of your intentions?" one had asked. 

"Not yet. When the time is right I will tell her." Ardeth had replied, standing tall and straight. 

"Why would the time not be right now? The women should be preparing her for the ceremony." 

"As you have already pointed out, she is a westerner. Her ways are different from ours," Ardeth argued, frustrated by the way they were trying to make him marry immediately. 

"Our ways will soon be hers. Why are you delaying Ardeth? Is your choice not certain?" 

"She is my choice, and she will remain so. You may make arrangements for the wedding when I return from the desert. This is my final word!" 

The elders sat silently for a second, then slowly nodded. "Very well, we accede to your wishes. Will we be permitted to meet the young lady in question?" The dry voice belonged to the oldest of the tribe, a man who had been a friend of Ardeth's grandfather and who Ardeth respected greatly. 

He bowed. "Not at this time. I believe she already has a lot to take in, on this visit. When we return, she will know she is to be my bride and she will remain here." 

The old man stood up and took Ardeth's hand, smiling for the first time since the meeting began. "I am pleased for you Ardeth, that you have found love at last. All men should have this in their lives, none more so than you. Now perhaps we will see the sons that you should have produced years ago?" 

Ardeth grinned as he thought about that. "I will do my very best, Hazim, that I promise you." 

The old man let go of his hand and nodded, still smiling. Taking this as their cue the rest of the elders stood and congratulated Ardeth, blessing him in their ancient tongue. 

Ardeth sighed deeply and let his eyes wander over the village, watching the people who were a part of his life and then settling on the small group of warriors laughing and talking with Khalid. He frowned. Had Khalid been gossiping? 

Khalid looked around at that moment and saw Ardeth, grinning and beckoning him over. "We were just discussing who will be accompanying us on this next mission, my friend. A few of the men are very eager to come and protect the young English girl!" 

Ardeth's back instantly stiffened as he looked at some of the younger Med-jai, seeing the admiration they had for Charlotte. He glanced across at her, finding her standing with her brother and a group of women, looking slightly bewildered. 

He nodded curtly to the warriors and strode across to her, smiling as he listened to the women shooting questions at her. They wanted to know everything about her, by the sounds of it. Charlotte was doing her best to answer the questions and Billy was piping up and helping her whenever he understood what was being asked, but when it came to some more personal questions, Charlotte faltered and her eyes flicked to Ardeth. 

"Enough, ladies," he said, taking Charlotte's arm. "We have much to do before we leave tonight, and Miss Carnahan needs to rest." 

He drew Charlotte and Billy away from the women and led them through the village. "I will show you my village," he said, obviously proud of where he lived. Charlotte smiled as she was introduced to more people and shown some of the bigger houses. They were well built, able to withstand whatever the desert threw at them, even the fiercest sandstorms. There were no windows, only holes in the walls that had shutters that could close over them, but no glass. She wasn't even sure if they had glass out here, but they had it in Cairo. Perhaps it was better not to have it in this sort of heat? she wondered. 

They stopped at the large fenced training area and Ardeth called one of the men over., holding his hand out for the replica wooden sword the man held. He crouched down next to Billy and handed it to him. "Here is the sword I promised you. Now, would you like to look around the village some more, or would you like to go into the arena and learn to use this?" 

Billy was all big eyes as he looked at his very own sword. "Can I?" 

"You would like to learn the arts of the blade?" 

Billy nodded and stared through the fence at some boys similar to his own age. "Will they be my friends?" he asked, a small frown appearing on his face. "I don't have any friends." 

Ardeth grinned and lifted Billy up. "They will all be your friends. I want you to enjoy yourself," he said, lifting him over the fence and into the waiting arms of the man who had given him the sword. After a few words to him, he took Charlotte's arm and led her away. "Will he be alright?" she asked, biting her lip as she watched the man introducing Billy to the other children. 

"He will be fine, he will enjoy himself," Ardeth assured her. He walked a short distance and then stopped, directing her gaze to the building in front of them. "And this is my house," Ardeth said, leading her into a medium sized dwelling, one that spread out over one floor. None of the other houses had upper floors either. But this one was well set out. There was a large living area that led to what she assumed was the kitchen, although it had nothing in it that would identify it as such in England, except what appeared to be a sink. 

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to a low, walled in area against one wall with a chute above it. 

"This is where a fire is made, to cook food," Ardeth explained. "Look," he said, showing her how easy it was to build a fire in it and place a metal grill over the top. "It may look very different to what you are used to, but it works just as well. I have pots here, for cooking. They sit on the metal grill." 

"And the smoke goes out of there? That's the chimney, then?" she asked, quite impressed by the way it was all built. 

"Yes," he agreed, pleased that she was being curious about this instead of thinking it primitive. He watched as she touched different items in the kitchen and then trailed her hand across the sink. 

"There's no tap, where does the water come from?" 

He smiled. "There is a well where we fetch the water we need, although we could easily use the water from the oasis. I have a storage area for it, so that it only needs collecting once a day. All the water we use, depending on what we use it for, can be used again for another task. We never waste anything." 

"You use it again? How?" 

"If we use the water to wash clothing, then it can be used to wash cooking implements, After it has been used for washing cooking implements, then it will be used again for plants and crops. If it is used for washing our bodies, then it can be used to wash clothing only. We do not use anything bad in the water so that it cannot be used again. It is a precious commodity in the desert, even in a village that appears to have so much of it." 

"I can't believe you use it for so many things, it makes me realise how much I've taken it for granted in my life," she said, feeling somehow selfish to have lived in luxury when these people had had so little. 

"People live with the environment they were born into. You have had no reason to think of water as precious. I have to admit, even though I am used to treating water as precious, I too have wasted it on occasion," Ardeth said, smiling. 

Charlotte was taken aback by the cheekiness of his smile and found herself giving a full smile herself, showing two neat little dimples that Ardeth hadn't noticed before. "How have you ever wasted water then?" 

"When I was in London, visiting with Evy and O'Connell, I took several baths. It is a luxury I do not get to indulge here as often as I would like. They had things to put in the water that gave it many bubbles," he said, smiling. "I enjoyed the sensation." 

"Did you ever tell anyone here about it?" 

He tried for a guilty look and failed. "No, I did not think they would understand." 

"Isn't that a bit...naughty?" she teased, feeling suddenly at ease in his house. 

"You think perhaps I should have been punished for this?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. 

"Well, what would happen if you had wasted water here?" she asked reasonably, trying to match his confident attitude and failing. 

"Nothing," he answered smugly. 

Charlotte frowned. "Nothing? Why not?" 

"I am the leader of the Med-jai, therefore I can do whatever I please, even waste water on occasion. However, if they were to punish me..." 

He paused for so long that Charlotte couldn't help prompting him. "What?" 

"I would like to think that they would shut me in my house with a beautiful woman, and let her decide the punishment," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her. 

Charlotte swallowed and looked away, trying to think of something to say. She settled on asking more about his home, trying to distract him from the way he was looking at her. "Er...wh..what other rooms are there?" 

Ardeth smiled at how flustered she was becoming. "There are two other rooms, a bathroom and my bedroom. Would you care to see them?" 

She wasn't sure how wise it would be seeing his bedroom, but she nodded slowly and allowed him to take her arm and guide her back through the main living area. The bathroom held a large, rough metal tub and what must have been a toilet, although it didn't look anything like the conveniences she had ever used. He didn't dwell on that room, pulling her with him into the last room, his bedroom. 

There was a huge rug on the rough floor and wooden furniture that somewhat resembled a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. His bed made her stop and stare. She had expected to see a mattress of some sort laying on the floor with a few blankets, but he actually had a proper bed. It was made of wood and each leg was carved intricately, as was the short headboard. It was so unlike anything that she had thought to see, that she couldn't keep the surprise from showing on her face. 

"Were you expecting to see a pallet on the floor?" Ardeth asked, smiling as his hand stroked down her arm and captured her fingers in his. 

"I...well...yes," she admitted, her breath catching at the same time he wrapped her hand in his. 

"I admit that a few years ago all I had was a pallet, which was not very comfortable. This bed was a gift," he said, studying how small her hand looked in his. 

"From...from who?" 

"The O'Connells gave it to me. It took some time to transport it here, and I have been teased about it mercilessly by my men, but I am pleased that I have it. I do not spend very long in the village, so it is a luxury that I enjoy when I am here." 

"Why don't you spend long here?" she asked, tearing her gaze away from the bed. 

"I have had no reason to, my duties have been everything to me." He took her other hand and drew her in front of him. "Until now," he whispered, bending to take her startled mouth with his, gently kissing her closed lips. He drew away before Charlotte had much time to respond, and his expression looked fierce as he stared down at her. 

"You need to rest," he said, seeming to have just realised what her current needs might be. "Also, we cannot stay in here for very long, not alone." 

"Why not?" she asked, her eyes filling with the sight of his dark, good looks. 

He took a deep breath and tried to force away the image of her laying in his bed, the task made that much harder by the way she was looking at him. "We will have been observed entering the house. It will not be long before someone is sent to interrupt us, just in case we are behaving in an improper manner." 

Charlotte blushed. "But we haven't..." Ardeth's finger on her lips stopped her words. 

"We are alone in my house, and unmarried. We are already behaving in an improper manner." 

Charlotte frowned as she thought about that. "But we've been alone before." 

"Yes, we have, and I must speak to you about that. In our custom, in this country and among my people, to share a tent with a woman is to make her your wife. We have not shared a tent, but we have shared a room." He stopped speaking and watched while that bit of information sunk in. 

"You mean that I'm...that you're..." Charlotte gasped out, shocked to realise what he was telling her. 

"In the eyes of my people, and in my own eyes, you are my wife," he said softly, hating the feelings of trepidation that surged through him as he waited to see how she would take the news. 


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Charlotte stopped breathing and just stared at him. He was her husband? "But, we didn't do anything...not really..." 

"Had you not been bruised, we would not have stopped. For me to refuse to take you as my wife would be to condemn you as a whore in front of my people. That, I will not do!" he didn't know what he had expected really, but he had hoped for her to accept it easily. 

"I didn't know..." she broke off and swallowed, looking at the anger on his face. He obviously regretted what had happened. "I'm sorry." 

Ardeth's anger stopped in it's tracks as he studied her expression. "Why are you sorry?" 

"I didn't want to be a burden to you before, and now you're stuck with me, and you don't want to be." She swallowed again and felt incredibly sad. The thought of being his wife, although not something she had considered before, had filled her with warmth. She would have liked living here, with these people, no matter how much harder it would be than England, because she would have been here with him. She realised for the first time how much Ardeth actually meant to her. "You don't have to do this, I know you don't want to," she continued, cutting him off when he would have spoken. "These people don't know me, and they'll probably never see me again, so it...it doesn't matter what they think of me really, does it?" 

Ardeth frowned again as he realised she was trying to let him off the hook easily. "Charlotte..." 

"I know you...you like kissing me...and things...but..." she took a deep breath when he tried to hold her, moving away from him until they were no longer touching. "You don't have to make a sacrifice like that, I know I'm not the sort of woman you would want for a wife." 

Ardeth was stunned by her words. She had no idea how he really felt about her and he had been reluctant to say anything because he had known her for such a short time. But for her to think that he wouldn't want to marry her! She looked so crestfallen that he couldn't bear it. Just as he began to speak a female voice called from the living area, footsteps sounding on the floor, and he cursed loudly, making Charlotte jump. 

A beautiful redheaded woman walked into the room, smiling as she saw Ardeth. "Ardeth, it is good to see you again! It has been too long!" she said, her voice heavily accented, but definitely not local. 

She turned and looked Charlotte over with friendly blue eyes. "You must be Charlotte Carnahan, Evy's cousin. I am Svetlana, Salin's wife. You have met Salin?" 

Charlotte nodded numbly, trying to smile. Svetlana frowned with concern. "You are alright? Are you unwell? I know how this desert heat can get to you." 

"I'm...I'm fine, just a little tired," Charlotte said, her voice barely above a whisper. In truth, she felt as though her heart was breaking. If only Ardeth really wanted her to be his wife, instead of merely doing his duty because he felt he had compromised her. 

"Of course you are, you have had a long journey. Come, I will take you to a place you can rest. Ardeth, we will see you later?" 

Ardeth nodded curtly and walked out of the room before them, his back stiff with the feelings of uncertainty. Unused to the emotion, he found it settling upon his shoulders heavily. He didn't look to see where Svetlana took Charlotte, but went in search of Rick and Evy, needing to talk to them. 

Rick grinned at him as he entered the small house they had been given to refresh themselves. "I like your village, buddy, nice people." 

"Thank you, I am glad you find it to your taste," Ardeth replied, settling down into a low seat. 

"Something wrong?" Rick asked him, frowning at his unsettled expression. 

Evy looked from one of them to the other and lifted Libby up. "I'll go and lay Libby down, she needs a rest," she said, tactfully leaving the two men to talk. 

Ardeth waited until Evy was out of earshot and then sighed, rubbing a hand across his jaw. He needed a shave, he noted absently, frowning. 

"So come on, out with it. What's the problem?" Rick prompted him. 

"Charlotte," Ardeth said, clenching his teeth as he thought about her reaction. 

"Mmm-hmm. What about her?" 

Ardeth explained to Rick his customs and that he had informed Charlotte about the fact that they were now man and wife. 

"I see. She didn't take the news well I assume?" 

"She was..." Ardeth searched for words. "She was shocked, I think. She told me that since my people would probably never see her again that it didn't matter what they thought of her. But I will not have her branded a whore!" Ardeth stood up, agitated. 

"Whoa, sit down," Rick said, motioning Ardeth back into the chair. "So she doesn't want to marry you then?" 

"I do not know! She said that she knew I didn't want to marry her and that I would not want a woman such as her for my wife. I do not understand her words." 

"Sounds to me like she doesn't want you to feel guilty," Rick mused. 

"I do not feel guilty about what brought this about, we have done nothing that could cause shame. She said I do not need to make such a sacrifice," Ardeth said, feeling frustrated. 

"How did she look when she said that?" 

"She looked...I don't know. I think she looked sad," he said, his frown getting deeper. 

"Do you think it's at all possible that she thinks you're doing this just out of duty, not out of any finer feelings? Have you told her how you feel?" Rick asked, leaning back and looking at Ardeth's confusion. It was odd to see this man at a loss. 

"I did not have a chance, Svetlana interrupted us, no doubt sent by one of the elders," Ardeth said, his disgusted tone making Rick laugh. 

"So she's trying to let you off the hook, then? Leave you free so you can marry someone you actually love?" 

"I love her, no-one else!" Ardeth protested, feeling surprised at the lightness he felt at that admission. 

"I see. But you haven't told her that, have you?" 

"no." 

"Hmm. You know what I think?" Rick asked him, raising his eyebrows. Ardeth shook his head and waited. "I think that if she knew the true reason you wanted to marry her, that she'd accept. I think she really likes you, maybe even loves you, who knows?" 

"If she loved me she would have been happy at the union!" Ardeth argued, still feeling uncertain. 

"No woman of our culture would be happy to be told she was already your wife, with no ceremony and no promises of love and happy ever after. Western women expect to be romanced a little, treated with a little bit of gentleness. Believe me, I know," Rick said dryly, thinking of his courtship of Evy. 

"What would you suggest?" Ardeth asked, not liking having to ask someone else what to do, always having been sure of himself before now. 

"I would suggest you romance her, woo her if you will. Come out to the dig site and treat her like something precious to you, someone you want to win. Not like you already own her and that you rate her along with a new saddle or a blanket!" 

"I have never treated her in such a way!" 

"No? Not in all the..what? Five or six days you've known her? A week? As far as I can recall you've beaten her, threatened to beat her again and then again, and smooched. Yet despite all that, she still seems to be making big googly eyes at you at every given opportunity. I wonder why?" 

Ardeth stared at Rick and chewed the inside of his lip thoughtfully. "You think she has deep feelings for me?" 

Rick nodded. "I think you've made quite an impression on her. Now you have to build on that. Chances are she would love to marry you, but you'll never know unless you stop ordering her about and treat her fairly for a while." 

"You are right, my friend, thank you. I will try some of this courtship you talk about, try to act more like you do, perhaps?" 

Rick laughed. "I wouldn't act like me or you'll have both women trying to beat you to death. Be yourself, only not quite as...you know, dark and forbidding!" 

Ardeth laughed at the description and relaxed somewhat, thinking of how to woo this female from England. It was not something he was used to doing and he hoped he would be successful at it. 

He stood up and smiled, feeling better now that he had talked this through with his friend. "I must go and meet with my mother, she will be wondering why I have not seen her yet. Rest, my friend, and I will join you to eat before we start back to the dig site." 

Rick watched Ardeth walk out of the house, shaking his head at Evy and rolling his eyes as she sat down next to him. "Did you hear all of that?" 

"Of course I did!" Evy said, not in the least embarrassed that he knew she had been eavesdropping. 

"Was the advice I gave him any good?" 

"Very good, I think Charlotte's already halfway in love with him. But I know something you don't, and I think I should tell Ardeth, too," Evy said, chewing her lip. 

Rick reached over and placed his thumb on her bottom lip, pulling it away from her teeth. "Don't do that, honey, I won't be able to kiss you if your lip's sore, will I?" He grinned at her as she narrowed her eyes. "So what do you know that I don't?"  
"I don't think Charlotte's just trying to let him off the hook, you know. When she said he wouldn't want a woman such as her for his wife, I think she meant because she isn't pretty enough for him." 

Rick frowned. "But she's very pretty, why would she think that?" 

Evy shrugged. "As much as I liked my Aunt, she wasn't very nice sometimes. She was very beautiful and she always managed to point out Charlotte's faults, usually when there was an audience. Charlotte hasn't got much self esteem because of her." 

"And you liked the woman? She sounds hideous. Imagine doing that to Libby?" Rick said, looking angry. 

"I couldn't imagine doing it to anyone, let alone my own daughter. Charlotte needs a boost to her ego and I think that Ardeth is just the one to give it to her!" 

"I think you could be right. You know, I could give you something, too, if you'd like?" Rick murmured, pulling his wife close to him. "After all, we are all alone..." 

"Richard O'Connell! It's the middle of the day and anyone could walk in..." she stopped as he kissed her. 

"Mmm-hmm. But I bet they won't!" He picked her up and carried her through to the bedroom, both of them giggling like teenagers. 

Ardeth sat in his mother's house, frowning grumpily whilst she told him off. Some things never changed, he mused. 

"So I am to be the last to know that my own son has chosen a wife? Where is this wife? Am I to be the last one to see her as well?" 

"Are you going to take a long enough breath so I can explain?" Ardeth asked dryly, receiving a smack around the back of the head. This was the only woman he had ever known that was allowed to strike him, that was until he had met Evy and now Charlotte. 

"Do not think of being rude to me, child!" his mother admonished, pushing his hair away from his face affectionately. "Have you given your heart Ardeth?" 

He nodded and smiled, taking her hands to plant a kiss on the back of each one. "Yes, I have given my heart. But the lady in question may not actually want it." 

"Is she blind? Is she a foolish woman?" 

He shook his head and laughed, taking the time to explain the situation. His mother slapped him again and tut-tutted. "I am ashamed of you Ardeth! Have I not brought you up better than this, to respect a woman and her wishes as well as your own?" 

"Mother, how did my father ask you to marry him?" 

"He did not ask me, he told me. Then we were married before I had a chance to say no, as he kept me prisoner in his house all night. But that is different!" 

"Is it? Had he given you the chance, would you have refused him?" 

"Of course not, I loved him. But Ardeth, I had known him for many years, since I was a child. I fell in love with him and he with me, long before we married. You have not given this young woman a chance to know her own heart yet. Take time and have patience, my son, and all will be well." She smiled, her eyes crinkling up as she looked upon her son, still a child in her eyes. "Who could stop themselves from loving one so handsome?" 

He spent the next few hours with his mother and aunts, answering questions about Charlotte and what had happened to her since she had been in the country. One of his aunt's had heard some gossip about Ardeth punishing the young English girl and they all sat, fascinated, as he went red under their scrutiny and defended his actions. More noisy chatting followed and another aunt said she had seen a glimpse of Charlotte, describing her face and figure to his mother. She made her sound beautiful and enchanting, something that Ardeth echoed when he was asked. 

His mother got up and opened a large chest in the corner, withdrawing a bundle of cloth and handing it to Ardeth. "Give her this to wear, my son, and tell her of your heart." 

Ardeth looked down at the soft gold silk he held, knowing that this was his mother's bridal gown. His mother was a small woman, not much bigger than Charlotte and he knew the fit would be good. "Thank you," he said softly. 

"It is nothing. But this is not her wedding gown, you understand? We will have new clothing made for your union. This is for her to wear and enchant you. Give it to her at your soonest opportunity." 

"I will," Ardeth said, kissing her cheek as he left the house. he packed the gown and veils away into his saddlebags, careful not to crush the delicate material. 

It would soon be time to leave and he remembered he had promised to eat with the O'Connells before they set off. First, he searched out Svetlana, needing to find out where Charlotte was and take her with him to her cousin. 

Svetlana invited him in and took him through to her bedroom, where Charlotte lay curled up on the bed, snoring softly. He smiled helplessly at the sight. Allah, how he wanted her in his bed looking so soft and welcoming! Only with less clothing, he mused, feeling slightly wicked. Svetlana sent him a knowing look and patted his arm. 

"She will come around, Ardeth, you wait and see," she said softly. 

"Like you did?" he asked her, grinning as he remembered the way Salin had kidnapped this gorgeous redheaded Russian woman. 

"Ah, Salin and I fought well, did we not? But I love him, maybe more now than I did then. I can see the signs in her eyes, how much she truly cares for you. She is merely confused." 

"Does everyone know of my troubles?" Ardeth asked in exasperation as he walked toward the bed. 

"Everyone but the animals and children, and I would not be so sure that the children are ignorant!" Svetlana teased him happily. "Has Salin told you our news?" 

Ardeth stopped walking to look at her. "What news?" 

"We are expecting another child. Salin hopes for a girl this time, but I would be happy with another boy. Perhaps, soon, we will see you with your own children, hmm?" 

Ardeth smiled. "Insh'allah, Svetlana. I am happy for you both." 

Svetlana nodded. "Now, take your wife and be on your way, Ardeth. You have much to do, do you not?" 

"Yes. I have much to talk to her about, it seems." He lifted Charlotte from the bed and held her against him easily, nuzzling her hair as she stirred in his arms. 


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Charlotte woke as they were crossing the village to Rick and Evy's dwelling, wondering at the odd floating feeling she had been experiencing, and then realising what it was as Ardeth carried her along. "What are you doing?" she asked, blinking up at him. 

"We are going to eat with the O'Connells. Then we will be leaving," Ardeth explained, angling her so he could take her through the doorway without hitting her head or feet on the frame. 

She didn't know what to say to him, so she remained quiet, her face hot under the amused looks she got from Evy and Rick. Billy and Libby were both sitting on the floor playing with his prized train, oblivious to everyone else in the room. 

"I hope you're hungry," Evy said as Ardeth put Charlotte on her feet. "Because the women came in a few minutes ago with so much food my eyes almost popped out of my head! As you can see, Rick has forgotten his manners and started eating already!" 

Rick grinned up at her before taking another huge mouthful of what looked like stew. Charlotte felt her stomach grumble at the smell and she sat down, accepting the bowl of food Evy handed her along with a plate of bread. Ardeth sat nearby and also took some stew, selecting some dried meat and fruit from the bounty on the small table as well. They all ate in a companionable silence, the only speaking coming from the children who were managing to get food all over themselves as they ate. 

Charlotte took on the task of cleaning them up and changing their clothing, her last duties before they were to leave them with the villagers. She hugged her brother when he was clean enough to touch and he hugged her back fiercely, his small arms winding around her neck. "I love you Charlotte," he said, resting his head on her shoulder. 

"I know, poppet. I love you too, I'll miss you," she whispered, feeling sad to be leaving him, the first time she had ever willingly done so. 

Ardeth stepped up and touched her shoulder, looking concerned. "He will be fine. He will have fun whilst he is here, and will be safe and sound when you return." 

"I know," she said, reluctantly putting her brother down. Billy instantly raised his arms to Ardeth, beaming when he was lifted up and cuddled by him as well. 

"You will behave for my people, will you not? Make your sister proud of you?" Ardeth asked him, smiling. 

Billy nodded and kissed Ardeth's cheek. "I love you Ardeth," he told him, not shy in voicing his emotions when he felt like it. 

Ardeth looked taken aback for a moment before replying. "And I you." He kissed the small face and then put him down, standing up to look into Charlotte's eyes. "You are still worried?" 

"Not really, no," she said hesitantly. Her breath caught when he reached up to caress her face. 

"I do not like it when you are troubled," Ardeth admitted, his voice gruff. 

"Ardeth," Rick said, breaking the intimate moment. "Down boy," he said quietly, nudging his desert friend. "Come on, we've got to load the horses up." 

Ardeth nodded and left the house, leaving the two women to clear up and make their final goodbyes to the children. His aunts had already clustered around the house, waiting to take the youngsters when the visitors left. 

Before long, Charlotte found herself back on a horse, this time the one she had ridden before, and she grimaced as she tried to get comfortable. It was getting dark again and she wasn't looking forward to another long night riding through the desert, but she remembered all too well what it had been like riding during the day, and she knew that there was sense in this approach. It didn't make her backside feel any more comfortable as they began their journey though, and she fidgeted around in the saddle. 

Ardeth rode up next to her and took her reins, tying them to his saddle. "Here," he said, handing her a thick blanket. "Put this underneath you, it will make the journey easier on your...seat," he said, hesitating over what word to use. 

Charlotte took the blanket and wadded it up, placing it beneath her bottom. She had to admit it was much softer and she felt herself relaxing. "Thank you," she said, reaching to take her reins back. 

"No, leave them here," Ardeth said, gently taking her hand. "I will guide you, and you can rest. If you need to hold onto something, then the front of the saddle will provide you with more balance." 

Charlotte held the saddle with her free hand and slumped slightly, letting her body move with the sway of the animal. This was much better. But she felt odd having Ardeth holding her hand when she knew he didn't really want her, so she withdrew hers and placed that on the saddle too, keeping her eyes front so she didn't have to look at his temptingly handsome face. 

She therefore didn't see the deep frown that he gave when she withdrew her hand, nor the way he briefly closed his eyes as if in pain and then turned his face away, resuming his scan of the dark desert. 

After an hour of no speaking and no eye contact, Charlotte felt even more unsettled. She bit her lip and tried to think of something to say. "How long have you..er...how long have you been a warrior?" 

Ardeth was surprised at the sound of her voice, having gotten used to riding in silence. "I have been a warrior since my thirteenth year. Why do you ask?" 

"Just...curious. So, how long have you been leader?" 

"I have been leader now for fifteen years," Ardeth said, not elaborating, dropping silent again once he had answered the question. He didn't feel in the mood for idle chit-chat with this woman who he felt had snubbed his talk of marriage. Uncharacteristically for him, he found himself sulking. 

Charlotte risked a glance at him, just about able to make him out in the deepening darkness. He didn't look very happy, she thought, and wondered if it was because of her, because he felt forced into marrying her. Well, she had told him that he didn't have to sacrifice himself just to give her a good name, so he had no reason to be angry. She frowned as she studied him more closely. Why, he looked just like Billy did when he sulked, she thought. 

"How old are you?" 

"Why?" he asked, not bothering to give her the answer. 

"I was curious," she said, shrugging and feeling a little irritated at his attitude. 

"You are very curious about things that do not concern you!" Ardeth said between his teeth, getting angry as his body tried to urge him to grab her and carry her off so they could be alone and he could force her to accept the fact that she would be his wife. 

Charlotte's mouth dropped open at his harsh tone. "Well, excuse me for asking. In future I won't bother trying to find anything out about you, you're obviously not that interesting!" 

"You do not know enough about me to make that assumption," Ardeth said, his voice harder than ever. 

"No, because you won't tell me anything!" Her mouth clicked shut when she realised her voice was getting louder and that the others must be able to hear. 

"If you did not find the thought of being my wife so disgusting then you would be able to find out all about me!" Ardeth shot back, involuntarily naming the one thing that had really dismayed him; that she thought him undesirable. 

"I do not find it disgusting!" she said, aghast that he thought that. Surely she hadn't come across to him as being repulsed by the thought? 

"Then why did you try to squirm out of it?" 

"I did not...!" she burst out, her voice getting louder again. 

"You cannot deny it, you refused any idea of being my wife! I did not make the offer lightly..." 

Charlotte's temper came to the fore, equally matching his. "Offer? _That_ was an offer? You told me I was your wife already, without even bothering to find out what I might want!" 

"Do not trouble yourself over it, _Miss_ Carnahan! I take back the offer as of this moment. It is obvious to me that you would rather be thought of as a whore than as my wife! So be it!" He ripped her reins from his saddle and flung them at her, riding off to the front of the group to be with his men. 

She watched him disappear and the inky blackness closed around her, making her shiver. She hated the dark, had always been afraid of it, but so far she had not been left alone long enough for her fear to show. And it wouldn't show now, she determined, stiffening her back and taking up the reins. She didn't want him to have the satisfaction of seeing her scared again, so he could act like the big man and protect her. Okay, so that protection had felt fairly nice, but he could be so unreasonable. She fumed silently as she rode along on her own, feeling vulnerable and unwanted being at the back of the large group. There weren't even any men guarding the rear, she thought, and almost giggled hysterically as visions of her being kidnapped and taken off, before they could do anything, filled her head. 

She swallowed the hysteria and willed herself to remain calm, after all, she had been in far worse situations. Yes, her mind helpfully reminded her, but those situations happened in the desert too. 

Evy and Rick rode side by side and looked at each other. "I could just smack Ardeth sometimes," Evy said quietly, angry at the argument they had just overheard. 

"Come on, honey, she isn't exactly the innocent party in all this. You heard the things she said to him!" 

"Typical man! Protect your own kind! Ardeth should have more patience!" 

"So should she! And guess what, she reminded me of you!" 

"He's left her all alone! Would you have done that to me?" Evy demanded. 

"Well, when we first met I would gladly have left you to be eaten in the desert," Rick mused, receiving a slap on his thigh. "Okay, okay! No, I wouldn't leave you on your own. Listen, you drop back and ride with Charlotte, I'll go and have a word with Ardeth." 

Evy instantly slowed her horse and waited for Charlotte to catch up before moving off again. "Are you okay?" 

Charlotte nodded and then realised that Evy probably couldn't see her. "I'm fine," she said, pleased that her voice sounded reasonably calm. "I suppose you heard all that?" 

"Well, we couldn't avoid it really, sorry. Ardeth sounded quite angry," Evy said, trying to pick her words carefully. 

"You noticed that? Yes, he was angry, but he's got no right to be!" 

"No? He was right though, wasn't he? You did turn him down?" 

"He didn't ask me, Evy. He as good as told me that he was duty bound to marry me. I couldn't marry him under those circumstances," Charlotte said, her voice so low that Evy barely heard her. 

"But you could marry him under other circumstances?" 

"If he loved me, if he really wanted me. But he doesn't and I couldn't bear to be a burden, it wouldn't be fair." She took a shaky breath and studied the stars that were rapidly starting to dot the sky. "Besides, it doesn't matter anymore does it? He branded me a whore instead." 

"He said that in anger, he didn't mean it," Evy said, trying to sound reassuring. 

"How do you know that? He sounded fairly sure of his words to me. Well," she said, straightening her shoulders. "That's just fine with me, I don't need him trying to touch me anymore, or trying to kiss me. He may think I'm a whore, but I'm not going to act like one for him!" 

Evy sat silent as Charlotte finished her rant. It hadn't sounded to her like Ardeth really thought of Charlotte as a whore, but Charlotte was obviously not seeing that his words had been said in the heat of the moment. She only hoped Rick could smooth things over with Ardeth. 

Rick joined the group of warriors and picked his way carefully through them until he found Ardeth. He was sitting at the front of them, not speaking but staring stonily ahead. 

"So, how you doing?" Rick asked him, trying to sound more jovial than he felt. 

Ardeth turned his head slightly to look at his friend and grunted, not bothering to speak. "I guess that means you're feeling really bad about what you just said to Charlotte, huh?" 

"No!" 

"Of course not. Why feel bad about calling her a whore. After all, she is one isn't she?" Rick said, smiling smugly as if he had every right to say such a thing. He saw the flash of white teeth as Ardeth's lips drew back in a snarl of anger. 

"She is not a whore!" 

"Of course she is! You said so, didn't you? Didn't she share a room with you and then refuse to marry you? That makes her a whore in my book..." He didn't expect the blow that landed on his jaw, knocking him straight out of the saddle to end up in a heap on the sand. 

Ardeth jumped from his horse, obviously prepared to continue the fight, and Rick quickly stood up so he could defend himself if need be. 

Evy heard the commotion and squinted as she tried to see what was happening. She could make out the horses milling about and decided to move in for a closer look. "Oh my God, they're fighting!" she gasped out as she got close enough to see, and she spurred her horse faster, followed closely by Charlotte. 

The two women jumped down from their horses as they reached the two men who were circling each other. "Rick, what do you think you are doing?" Evy asked him, shocked that the two friends were about to come to blows. 

"Move away Evy, I don't want you getting hurt by this idiot!" 

Ardeth drew in a sharp breath and pulled his arm back preparing to punch Rick again, but Charlotte stepped in front of him and grabbed his wrist, trying to push him back. "What are you doing? Move!" Ardeth ordered her, his eyes glinting down angrily into hers. 

"I will not! You stop this right now!" Charlotte said, trying to sound braver than she felt. 

"What on earth are you fighting about?" Evy said, moving in front of Rick and closing her hands over his fists gently, lowering his arms. 

"He called her a whore!" Ardeth said, obviously still fuming. 

"I only repeated what you'd said, buddy, let's not forget that shall we?" Rick replied, grinning tightly. 

"Rick, you didn't!" Evy gasped out, appalled that he had said such a thing about Charlotte. 

"Yes, I did. But unlike him, I didn't mean it. I just wanted to see what his reaction might be, and look what happened!" 

"I have never thought of her in such a way," Ardeth protested, stopping short when Charlotte shoved him hard enough to knock the wind out of him. 

"Yes you have, you liar! You just called me a whore yourself, and now here you are picking a fight just because someone else dared to do the same! I hate you!" she shouted and then burst into tears, completely overloaded with emotion now and ashamed of the way she was being spoken about in front of all these people. She turned and ran away from them all, stopping some distance away and sinking down onto the sand. 

"I'll go to her," Evy said, moving to walk away. Ardeth stopped her. 

"No, I will go," he said, then turned to his men. "Make camp here for an hour, I will return shortly." 

"Ardeth, wait," Evy said, touching his upper arm lightly before he had a chance to leave them. He looked sharply at his men and they took the hint, moving away and busying themselves hobbling the animals. 

"What is it, Evy?" 

"Before you go off and have yet another argument with Charlotte, I think there's something I ought to explain about her," Evy said, trying for a reasonable tone of voice. 

Ardeth frowned. "What, for instance?" 

"Charlotte has some...er...self-esteem issues," she said, grimacing. 

"Meaning?" 

"Well, she doesn't seem to think that she's...well.." 

"Oh for God's sake!" Rick said, moving Evy out of the way and standing in front of Ardeth himself. "She thinks she isn't pretty, mainly because her mother was beautiful and always told her she didn't match up to her in any way. She doesn't think she's good enough for you, or any other man, and you calling her a whore probably didn't make her feel any better!" 

Ardeth was silent for a moment, obviously taking in what Rick had said. Without a word, he turned and walked away. 

"Well, so much for explaining things," Evy murmured, watching as the tall robed man faded into the darkness of the desert. She looked up at her husband. "How's your jaw?" 

Rick rubbed a hand across his chin. "Bruised. He sure hits hard when he's protecting her good name," he said dryly. 

"Serves you right for calling Charlotte nasty names!" 

"I only did it to get a rise out of him. It worked, didn't it?" 

Evy sighed and snuggled against his side. "I hope so," she said. 


	19. Chapter 19

_***I'm SO sorry this has taken a while to post, but I ran out of ideas. Anyway, I got my thinking cap on, and came up with something, but then I had to research. I do like to be as historically accurate as possible, just in case people look up the ancient names I use. They're all real, so I have to find out about them, and it takes AGES! Still, all good fun, but I can only do it when time permits, so please bear with me!! Thank you SO much for all the reviews!***_****

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**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Ardeth walked straight up to Charlotte and picked her up, ignoring the muffled complaints she made as he carried her further away from the others. He found it a little harder to ignore the punches she directed at his head and chest, but he swallowed his anger and held her arms against her as he sat down, stopping her from striking him again. 

He waited whilst she wore herself out with her futile attempts to escape. When she finally stopped moving he arched an eyebrow and stared down at her. "Have you finished?" 

Charlotte swallowed and pressed her lips together to stop them shaking, but she couldn't stop the tears from continuing to fall from her eyes. "I suppose you have to punish me again? Well go ahead, I don't care anymore," she blurted out, utterly miserable. 

Ardeth gathered her up against his chest and tucked her head underneath his chin, rocking her and stroking her hair. "I am sorry for the words I said, I did not mean them." 

"You think I'm a whore," she mumbled, sniffing as she calmed down. 

"And you hate me," Ardeth returned. He nudged her face away from his neck and rubbed her tears away with his thumbs. "Do you not?" 

"No," she said, shaking her head. 

"Then why did you say it?" 

"You hurt my feelings," she admitted. 

"And now you know why I also said words I did not mean," he said, and she saw the faint flash of his teeth as he smiled. 

"I hurt your feelings?" she asked, confused. 

"Yes, when you refused the idea of being my wife." 

"Oh." 

"Why did you dismiss the idea?" 

"Why would you want me for a wife?" she countered, not really wanting to hear his answer, because she was sure it wouldn't be good. 

"Because you are delicate, yet strong when the occasion calls for it. You are honest and caring, and you are the most beautiful woman I have seen in my life." 

"I'm not..." 

"Yes, you are, little one. You are beautiful, and you have my heart," he said, laying himself open to her for the first time. 

"I do?" she asked, stunned. 

"You do. Now you must promise me that you will take care of it," he said, his voice lowering as he raised her hand and placed it over his heart. "I want you with me Charlotte, I want you in my home when I return to my village. I want my child to grow within you." 

Charlotte went hot at the intensity of feeling he put into his words. "I'd like that," she whispered. 

"You would? How do you feel about me, my lady?" he whispered back, his thumbs caressing her face. 

"I...I love you," she said softly. 

He closed his eyes as a wave of intense relief ran through him, grasping her hands and lifting her palms to his mouth to plant a soft kiss on each one. "You do not know how much I have longed to hear those words. Kiss me, Charlotte, show me how much you love me." 

She didn't hesitate, putting her arms around his shoulders and placing her lips on his, gently kissing him. As he pulled her tighter against him, so she kissed him harder, doing something she had wanted to do for some time and sucking on his full lower lip. He groaned as she did this, and suddenly took over from her, plunging his tongue deep into her mouth and rolling them down onto the sand so he was laying on top of her, his hands grasping her small waist. 

His knee nudged her legs apart and he settled himself fully against her, letting her feel his arousal pressed intimately at the juncture of her thighs. She squirmed slightly in embarrassment, but the intensity of his kiss soon wiped such thoughts from her head, his hands beginning to roam over her body causing her to arch up into him. 

He groaned in frustration when he heard one of his men calling his name and rolled away from her, laying on his back and taking deep gulps of air to try and calm his body down. Once he managed to get his breath back he shouted out to the man approaching them in his own language, relieved when his shout was answered and the man swiftly moved away. 

"We must marry soon, my lady, before I dishonour us both!" he muttered, smiling grimly in the darkness as he forced his wayward body to relax. It took a few minutes. 

Charlotte lay quietly, wondering if he really thought she was a loose woman, and also wondering if he didn't have every right to think so. She jumped when he sat up suddenly and reached for her hand, pulling her up to stand in front of him. She could barely make out his face in the darkness, only the thin sliver of the moon providing illumination. 

"Come, let us make our way back before another one of my men is sent to disturb us," Ardeth said wryly, leading her slowly over the sand towards the distant lights of the makeshift camp. 

"Who would be sending them to disturb us?" Charlotte asked, still trying to catch her breath after their amorous encounter. 

"Khalid, most likely. They will have been told by the women to make sure I do not dishonour you, and I must obey these rules or they will beat me when we return home." 

"Beat you?" she asked, her voice slightly shocked. "Surely they wouldn't...?" 

Ardeth chuckled. "Believe me, I may be the leader but I must also follow the rules of conduct observed by my people. To not do so could turn out to be most painful." 

When they reached the others Ardeth led her to Rick and Evy, making her sit down on the sand and share the food that they had in front of them. "Now, eat, my lady, and then we will continue our journey, together this time huh?" 

She nodded in the darkness, but the flash of white she saw when he smiled let her know that he had seen the small movement, and he reached out a hand and stroked the side of her face gently, drawing back reluctantly when a muffled laugh was heard from among his men. "One day we will have a measure of privacy, I promise you!" he whispered, his tone disgusted and she couldn't help smiling as he walked away to talk sharply with his men. 

"Is everything alright Charlie?" Evy asked, sidling over next to her and offering her some dried meats of some sort. 

"I think it is, yes," she replied softly, biting her lip and taking a deep breath of the damp evening air. "I'm going to marry him, Evy, isn't that wonderful?" 

Evy laughed and hugged her cousin. "Yes it is, and it's about time, too!" 

"I totally agree," Rick put in, speaking around a mouthful of food. "After all the things he's done to you, he damn well should marry you!" 

Charlotte wasn't a hundred percent sure if he was joking or not, but then she heard his faint laugh when Evy smacked him, and she gave a relieved sigh, frowning when she remembered the fight they'd had. "Are you okay, Rick?" 

"If you mean my jaw, then yes, I'm okay. A bit bruised maybe, but no condition I haven't been in before. Anyway, it did the trick it was intended to do. Er," he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, "I'm sorry about what I called you. I didn't mean it the way it probably sounded to you, I just wanted to get him to see sense. I think it worked, don't you?" 

Charlotte laughed softly at that. "I suppose it did. Thank you for your help." 

"Hey, no problem. Well, looks like our little break is coming to an end," he said, standing up and brushing himself down when he saw the faint silhouettes of the men moving about in the dark, preparing to move on. "Come on ladies," he said, reaching out a hand to both women and hoisting them up effortlessly off the sand. 

"Time to get back on that uncomfortable animal, I suppose," Charlotte said, rubbing her backside with one hand and wondering if she'd ever get used to it. She started to walk towards it and then something brushed her arm, making her jump with fright as she spun in the direction of whatever it was. 

"I apologise for startling you," Ardeth said, chuckling all the same at the huge sigh of relief she gave. "Are you ready to continue our journey?" 

"Yes, I think so," she said, taking the hand he held out and feeling herself pulled right next to him, the warmth of his body flowing into her. 

"Good, then you will ride with me, yes?" 

Charlotte felt a smile tug at her lips and she looked up, barely able to make him out. "Can I?" 

"You are my wife, you can do whatsoever you wish," he said, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her mouth and then tugging her over to his horse. 

Once he was safely on the horse's back, he reached down and helped her up, sitting her draped across the horse as he had before, his arms going firmly around her as he took the reins and started the animal moving. "You are comfortable?" he asked her as they set off. 

"Yes, thank you," she murmured, stifling a yawn. 

Ardeth chuckled. "Go to sleep, my lady, you will not miss anything I assure you. We only have more hours of this journey ahead of us. When you awake we will be there and your adventure can begin." 

"It's already begun," she murmured, turning her face into his chest and closing her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. 

Ardeth rode along and relished her soft weight against him, feeling almost free for the first time since his duties began as leader of the Med-jai. 

**** 

Charlotte discovered that indeed the whole journey had passed whilst she had slept, and she was glad that he had allowed her the freedom to sleep, not having realised quite how much she needed it. Ardeth gently nudged her awake, his eyes smiling down at her as they sat on his horse. "You have slept well?" 

She nodded and gave a small stretch, making Ardeth's eyes flick down to her breasts briefly where they were pressed against the material of her blouse. "I slept really well, thank you," she said shyly, smiling at him. She looked around them and saw lots of tents dotted around, men beyond them digging in the sand. "We're here already?" she asked in surprise and Ardeth chuckled, pulling on the reins to bring the horse to a stop. 

"Yes, my lady. You have slept the entire journey, it seems. Come," he said, keeping one hand on her back while he slid elegantly off the horse, "let us explore. I am sure you will find much to interest you."  
Charlotte kept close to Ardeth as she met the professor again, and the older man's eyes seemed to sparkle oddly as he looked at her. "Er...what is it you're digging for exactly?" 

The strange look left his face to be replaced by genuine interest, and he had them follow him to a small box of things they had already found. "We've been searching for some jewellery that was written about in the tomb of a little known Queen, Neferure. It's very unusual, because jewellery and gold, riches of any sort, were rarely written about. To the Egyptians gold was just something to decorate things, to wear. It had no fantastic value to them, although obviously other countries valued it and they traded with it. What did have value, strangely, was silver." 

"Silver? But, surely gold's much more precious?" Charlotte asked, confused. Westerners certainly valued gold above everything else. 

"It's simple really. Gold is very easy to come by, easy to mine, but silver is not. The Egyptians, with all their skills, found it incredibly hard to mine silver. Plus the metal wasn't that plentiful in the country. Therefore, anything made of this denoted great wealth and power." 

"And the jewellery you're searching for? It was silver?" 

He nodded, showing her some rings and what appeared to be brooches made of the metal. "Yes, we've already found these, but they're not what we mainly want to find. There are three bracelets, and each one has hieroglyphs on the surface, according to the tomb writings. We want to find them so we can discover what it is that's written on them, because no one knows." He smiled. "We like a mystery, you see?" 

"And Neferure? Who was she?" Charlotte asked starting to get caught up in it all. 

"Well, no-one knows an awful lot about her. We do know she was married to Tuthmosis III, but after that it's a blank. He had a son, Amenhotep II, but it appears that another wife gave birth to him. So beyond that - nothing." The professor gave a shrug and picked up a small silver ring with a turquoise stone, turning it over in his hand. "I'm hoping that the bracelets will tell us more." 

Ardeth looked carefully at everything the professor had found so far, but he could detect nothing damaging in the box full of objects. He would make sure to keep a close eye on all that was found, just in case something came to light that shouldn't. 

"May we help in any way?" he asked the older man politely, raising one eyebrow. 

The professor smiled and shook his head. "There's no need, really. We have plenty of workers. Why don't you just walk around and take a look at what's going on?" 

Ardeth nodded and took Charlotte's arm, leading her away from the professor. He didn't trust the man, and it wasn't entirely to do with what Rick and Evy had said about him. There was just something about him, something he had seen before in other explorers. Grayson Johns wasn't just out for treasure, of that he was certain. 

Evy came up to them and grabbed her cousin's arm, smiling at Ardeth. "Do you mind if I take her away from you for a while? I want to show her the tomb walls they've uncovered, she'll love it." 

"I do not mind, I must talk to my men anyway," Ardeth said, and he lifted Charlotte's hand for a kiss, giving a slow smile as he let Evy drag her away. He turned to where a group of his men were standing and moved over to them, getting a wide grin from Khalid. 

"So, you have finally let the girl go? I was beginning to think you had been sewn together!" he said, chuckling at Ardeth's enraged expression. 

"She is none of your business," Ardeth said shortly, frowning hard when he heard a snort of derision from the back of the group. His eyes found one of his men, Aslar, staring at him coldly. Ardeth disliked him, but he had to tolerate him because he came from one of the more prominent families in the village, and he knew he didn't like the recent spate of marriages to western women. He wanted to keep the bloodlines pure, and he had delusions of grandeur, believing he had the right and the ability to lead his people. In that, he was wrong, and Ardeth had made sure that, although he was one of his warriors, he had never risen in the ranks. He was trouble, and at the first opportunity he would get rid of him, if the man ever did anything to warrant such a dismissal. The elders would surely question such a move, so he had to make sure it was justified. 

"You have something to say Aslar?" Ardeth asked, lifting his chin arrogantly and staring at the other man with a coldness that matched his own. 

"Not at all," he sneered, abruptly turning his back and walking away, an action that made Ardeth grit his teeth with anger. None of his other men would ever treat him with such disrespect, and he knew that he would be having words with the younger man before the day was out. 


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

The day passed smoothly and Charlie was pleased to see Jonathan finally join them. He immediately monopolised her company and regaled her with stories of his bravery in the face of impossible odds, making her laugh as she remembered how full of rubbish he could be. The fact that some of the things he spoke about were true, though, made for some interesting tales. 

She didn't see Ardeth again until darkness had fallen and then he joined them as they ate, looking grim and quiet. 

"Is something wrong, old chap?" Jonathan asked him, waving a bottle of some sort of amber liquid towards him. 

Ardeth shook his head as he sat, letting the day's tension go out of his neck and shoulders. "I have just had words with one of my men. He shows no respect for anybody, and his attitude is getting worse instead of better." 

"Well, why don't you just kill him?" the thinner man asked. 

"The temptation was there, believe me," Ardeth replied, looking at Charlotte in the light of fire, his face softening. He reached out a hand and took hers, pressing a kiss on her knuckles and pulling her so she sat right next to him. 

"I say, have I missed something at all?" 

Charlotte looked at her cousin and blushed deeply, making Ardeth grin. "Your cousin has agreed to be my wife," he said, making Jonathan abruptly stop drinking, the bottle hanging under his mouth. 

"Married? _You_?" he asked Ardeth, looking stunned. 

"Huh, they're _already_ married actually," Rick said, scoffing at his friend. He grinned unrepentantly when Ardeth glared at him. "Want to explain to Jonathan how _that_ came about?" 

"It has nothing to do with Jonathan," Ardeth said indignantly, but Rick shook his head, still grinning. 

"Yes, it has, he's her male relative, he has to protect her good name. I think you should tell him about your sordid secrets!" 

"Sordid? What's he done?" Jonathan asked his brother-in-law, frowning and trying to understand what they were going on about. 

Charlotte glared at Rick. "He hasn't done anything, it's just some silly custom of his," she said quietly. 

"Silly?" Ardeth asked her, frowning. "It is not silly, it is a morally correct custom to my people, and we have followed it for generations!" 

She stared at him, worried. "I didn't mean I thought it was stupid. I'm sorry if I insulted you, I didn't mean to." 

Ardeth sighed and squeezed her fingers. "You have not insulted me, my lady. I am just not used to having to explain my actions to anyone." 

"You haven't!" Jonathan said, still waiting for someone to fill him in. "What have you been doing to my cousin?" 

Ardeth transferred his attention from Charlotte to Jonathan and raised his chin. "I spent the night in her room, and to do such a thing means she is now considered my wife." 

"He was in her bed, too," Rick pointed out, chuckling when Evy slapped him. "Well, he was."  
"In her bed!" Jonathan burst out, not in the least bit angry, just finding Ardeth's discomfort amusing. 

"We did nothing," Ardeth said, a smile touching his mouth when he saw Jonathan's lack of anger. "Although, again, the temptation was there." He looked at Charlotte again and smiled warmly at her, his eyes so full of emotion she blushed. 

"Well, congratulations, old man," Jonathan said, grabbing Ardeth's free hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "When is the wedding?" 

Charlotte looked at Ardeth and wondered the same thing, because he hadn't mentioned any plans. He shook his head. "I am quite sure the arrangements are already being made. As soon as we ride back to the village, when the dig is over, the ceremony will be standing ready for us. In a few short weeks she will be my wife." 

Grayson Johns chose that moment to join them, his small eyes watching Charlotte intently. "Your life here will be very different from the one you know now," he said, glancing once at Ardeth. 

"I know," Charlotte said, shrugging. "I'm looking forward to it." 

"Well, I hope you're ready for all the hardships the desert can throw at you. Even seasoned explorers such as myself find it hard to stay out here any amount of time. I wouldn't like to live here," he said, giving a grimace of distaste that sent a flutter of anger through Ardeth. 

"She will find no hardships living here, I assure you. Her every need will be met as she will become the wife of the leader," he said, his dark eyes narrowing as he stared at the older man. "I am sure she appreciates your concern, but it is misplaced in this instance." 

Grayson gave a small cold smile, his eyes betraying an acute dislike for Ardeth before he lowered them. "I'm terribly sorry to have offended you in any way. My concern was merely for the young lady. I spoke out of turn." 

Evy watched the by-play between the two men with confusion. Grayson Johns had always been very friendly all the time she had known him, and this was the first time she had seen him in any way antagonistic. She supposed maybe he was more reserved with men he didn't know, than he was with women, and she shrugged, settling back against Rick as he put his arms around her. 

Charlotte was unaware of any tension, but she wouldn't have noticed even if it had been much more obvious because she was so tired. The last two nights of travelling were catching up with her, and even the sleep she had taken on the way here was not enough. 

It wasn't until she started leaning heavily against Ardeth that anyone noticed she was falling asleep, and Evy instantly stood up, brushing sand off her legs. 

"I'll take her to her tent," she said, moving towards her cousin. But Ardeth shook his head, staying her movement. 

"Please, allow me to take her, Evelyn. Thank you," he said, giving the young blonde girl a gentle shake that made her wake up. "You must lie down and get some rest," he told Charlotte when she looked blearily at him. 

She nodded and stood up, helped by holding onto his arm for balance, and he lead her away from the group, Charlotte calling a soft goodnight to everyone. 

The professor watched them go with calculating eyes, excusing himself shortly afterwards and walking towards the dark, deserted dig site. 

He leaned against a narrow pillar and waited, a smile curving his lips when he faintly heard the almost silent footsteps approaching his position. "You can't fool me, you know," he said into the darkness. 

"Yet I will continue to try," the man said as he reached Grayson. "Did you see him with the English whore?" 

"Yes, I saw him. I don't think the girl is a whore, however, but I understand your point of view." 

Aslar snorted derisively. "He has no respect for himself or his own customs. He disgusts me!" he spat. 

Grayson chuckled, pulling out a misshapen pack of cigarettes and lighting one up. "Believe me, Aslar, he disgusts me just as much. Soon you will be able to rid yourself of him and all his relatives, then you can become the leader of your little tribe." 

"The time cannot come soon enough for me," he said, almost snarling. "Why must we wait for so long?"  
"Because we must find the bracelets, as you well know. Without them we don't have the displacement spell, and the resurrection can't take place." 

"Your English friends thought that it could," Aslar said, raising one eyebrow doubtingly. 

"My English friends jumped the gun, and they paid for their haste with their lives," Grayson said, drawing deeply on his cigarette. "And that's another thing your noble leader will be paying for." 

"I think we should kill him now. Him and his western whore!" 

Grayson stared at him disparagingly, wishing he didn't need this cretinous individual. But he had to get rid of the Med-jai, and he had to have the girl. Therefore, he had to rid himself of anyone who would protect her. He would never have found the whereabouts of the bracelets without this little weasel, so he supposed he should try and get along with him, while he had to. "That isn't possible just yet, and besides, I thought you wanted to make him suffer?"  
"I do," Aslar snapped, sighing with frustration. "It is just hard to wait when we are so close. After all these centuries, my ancestor's death will be avenged, and I will have my rightful place." 

"And for that we need the girl, don't we?" Grayson pointed out. 

"For her virgin blood, yes. A pity, because I should have liked to see Ardeth Bay know the agony of seeing his woman raped and killed in front of his eyes!" 

Grayson smiled. "There are other ways to see him in such pain before we kill him. How about if the woman he loves betrays him?" 

"How would you get her to betray him?" 

"I wouldn't, I would merely make it appear as though she had. The effect will be just as strong. Don't worry Aslar," he said with a chilling laugh, "Ardeth Bay will know much pain before he dies. Of that you can be certain." 

_**** Ooooh, the plot thickens....at last. Sorry if it's been slow! Sex addicts should like the next chapter however.....mmmm!****_


	21. Chapter 21

_****Okay, much rudeness coming up...well, semi rudeness anyway. A bit rushed perhaps, but I hope it's okay. Enjoy!****_****

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

Ardeth was up before dawn the next morning, checking on his guards to make sure everything was peaceful. 

"I saw Aslar talking with the professor last night," Khalid told him, looking suspicious. 

"And you think there is something wrong with that. Why?" 

Khalid smiled. "When have you ever known Aslar to willingly talk to a westerner?" 

"Hmm, you have a point," Ardeth replied, smiling as he sat down next to his friend. "How long has Aslar been out here now?"  
"Nearly two weeks. Do you think it is possible he has befriended the professor?" 

"Anything is possible, my friend, but not always probable. We shall have to watch him to see what he is up to, if he is hiding anything." 

"He? The professor or Aslar?" 

"Aslar." 

"Trying to find an excuse to get rid of him, Ardeth?" Khalid asked with a knowing grin. 

"Perhaps. One thing is certain, if I do find cause to dismiss him, then no-one will be sad to see him go." 

Khalid laughed at that. "That is true! That little heap of camel dung has been a weight tied around our necks for too long! If it weren't for his family, he would never have even been considered as a warrior. He has no apparent skills with the blade, no cunning..." 

"Do not be so sure about that, my friend. I have a bad feeling that he may be more cunning than we give him credit for." Ardeth frowned as his eyes scanned the desert, the rising sun painting a vast array of colours on the ever shifting landscape. "As I said, we must watch him with great care." He stood up and stretched. "I must go and check on the O'Connell's." 

Khalid chuckled. "I thought her name was Carnahan?" 

"Not for much longer," Ardeth said, grinning as he walked away towards the group of tents that housed his friends. 

**** 

Charlotte brushed at her nose, her eyes still closed as she clung to sleep. But whatever it was that was irritating her wouldn't go away and eventually she had to look to make sure it was nothing deadly trying to sting her. She lifted her eyelids reluctantly and then gave a gasp of surprise when she found Ardeth sitting next to her, his finger gently tickling the tip of her nose. 

"Good morning, my love," he said softly, bending to take her soft lips with his own, the kiss brief but sweet. When he drew back he brushed his fingers over the bright colour in her soft face, grinning. "Why do you blush? I have kissed you before." 

"Because of what you said. You haven't called me that before," she murmured, smiling happily at him. 

"Ah I see. I have only called you my lady up to now, and now I call you my love. But then, that is what you are," he said, still stroking her face. "You will have to get used to such things, as I will be using many more words like these." 

Charlotte bit her lip and tilted her head into his touch, her eyes gazing up at him adoringly. "What other words will you use?" she asked, still shy with him. 

Ardeth grinned even wider, and kissed her softly again. "Hmm, I believe I shall call you my heart, my sweetness, my light," he bent and placed another kiss on her lips. "My life," he continued, another small kiss being bestowed between words. His eyes sparkled down into hers. "My world." The kiss when it came this time was slow and thorough, and he pried her eager lips open to plunder her mouth, his tongue shooting inside the warm recesses and exploring her. She moaned underneath him as he let his weight come down on top of her, his arms gathering her close to his chest as he enjoyed being with her. He retained enough sense to remove the vast amount of weaponry he wore and then he came back down on her, resuming the kiss as if he hadn't stopped. All sensible thoughts went out of his head when she placed her small hands on his chest and lifted herself up to him, and he deftly pulled the sheet from her so he could get to her body, his hands smoothing over her torso through the thin clothing she wore. He lifted his head and looked own at her body, a smile tilting his lips when he saw the white gown she had put on to sleep in. It offered virtually no protection against his eyes, and he could see the pinkness of her flesh outlined beneath it, making his heart speed up as his flesh swelled with need. 

Charlotte blushed as he looked, but she made no move to pull the sheet back over her, fascinated by the look on his face. She had a second to study him before he bent to her mouth again with obvious intent, his eyes telling her that he was losing control already, even though they had only kissed. 

He penetrated her lips with his tongue tenderly, exploring her mouth slowly and thoroughly, using all his expertise on her. And his expertise was vast, as Charlotte discovered. 

It was like drowning, she thought blindly as he pressed her further into the bedroll without removing his mouth from hers for an instant. Her arms crept around his neck and her hands clenched on his robes at the pleasure his weight on her caused. 

Her tongue flicked into his mouth and met his, playing with it, deepening the kiss herself for the first time. She felt his anatomy change, felt the sudden rigidity pressing against her belly and moved uncertainly against him. He felt the hesitant movements and despite his raging hunger for her he started to move away. 

"No...don't...I don't want you to stop..." her cheeks reddened but she didn't take her hands away from his robes, much to his amazement. 

"I thought the feel of me was discomfiting...." he began and then choked on the last word when she slid her hand inside the opening at the front of his robes and touched the warm, firm muscle she found there. 

Ardeth lowered his hips back down onto hers and let his weight pin her hips to the bedroll, keeping his upper body away from hers so that she could touch him. She fiddled with the dark material until she could pull it open, finding small ties that kept it closed and undoing them, until she could spread the material open across his shoulders. She had no idea where all this boldness was coming from and she didn't stop to question it. She was enjoying herself too much. "You're beautiful" she whispered in awe as she stared at the broad torso, dark tan skin covering his muscular chest and down over his flat hard stomach, a small line of dark hair disappearing into the waistband of his trousers. She rested her hands on those muscles and smoothed with tactile pleasure across them, her fingers encountering a hard male nipple. She looked at it curiously before running her fingers over it, looking up at the sudden, sharp indrawn breath he gave. He grabbed her up against him and rolled them so that she was laying on top of him and he let his arms fall to the mattress, wide open. Charlotte shot a startled look down at him, and he smiled, taking a deep breath. 

"If you want to touch me, my lady, then I give you the freedom to do so," he said, his voice slightly husky. Her mouth parted on a soft 'oh' of surprise, but she needed no further urging and she pushed the top part of his robes completely away from his body, tugging them out of his trousers and trying to get them off his arms with a great deal of difficulty. Finally he lost patience and abruptly ripped it off and threw it across the tent, heedless of where it may land. Her hands were all over him before he had even settled back on the blankets and he couldn't help smiling through the piercing desire he felt. He could see the newness of it all in her face, in the rapt expression, even if he hadn't already been certain of her purity. 

Ardeth watched her touching him and wondered at his own control when all he wanted to do was bury himself inside her. It was morally wrong, he told himself, to dally with her when they were not yet married. But his brain wouldn't make his body stop her, and he tensed at her gentle explorations. When she bent and stroked her tongue over first one nipple, and then the other, he groaned and grabbed her head as if to stop her. But the continued incendiary touch of her soft tongue had him tangling his hands in her hair and guiding her, until she traced a path down the centre of his abdomen, tracing the line of hair toward his waistband. It was too much for Ardeth and he gave another harsh groan, and a second later Charlotte found herself flat on her back and being kissed to within an inch of her life, while his hands stripped her gown quickly and efficiently from her shaking body. But he knew it wasn't fear that was making her shake this time. He smoothed his hands over her soft stomach and up over her breasts, stroking the silky skin just below her collar bone, delaying the moment when he touched her where she wanted him to. His hand pressed down over her breast and felt her heartbeat thundering beneath it as he slowly stroked the hardening tip as lightly as a feather, smiling as she twisted against his hand and moaned. She wanted to feel him without any clothing in the way, flesh to flesh, his body sliding against hers, his mouth tasting her breasts again as he had done before. 

She didn't realise she was whispering these things to him until his hands slid around her back and pulled her upwards, his breath shuddering out as he bent and placed a gentle kiss on the upper slope of one soft mound. Her hands automatically went to cover herself, even though she really wanted him to look at her and touch her, even though he had done so before. "No, do not do that," he said softly, removing her hands and staring at the cream and pink perfection of her breasts, watching the nipples harden under his avid gaze. 

He placed his hands almost reverently over them and lifted the weight of them, pressing his palms over the aching tips. Charlotte moaned and let her head drop back as sharp sensations shot from her breast down to her stomach and beyond. Ardeth lifted his eyes from her soft skin to her face. A smile touched his lips briefly at the expression she wore. It almost looked like she was in pain, and if it wasn't for the soft breaths and groans she made he may well have stopped. But he didn't think he could find the strength to do so now, he thought, his eyes returning to the soft mounds in his hands and he bent suddenly to envelope one hard, aching tip in his mouth, starting up a suction that had her arching up towards him and grabbing his head. He transferred his attentions to the other breast whilst his hands divested himself of his remnants of clothing. 

Charlotte hardly noticed, such was the intense pleasure he was giving her. It was only when he lifted himself and lay squarely on top of her that she finally had the presence of mind to even open her eyes. The feel of his hard naked body was unexpected and surprising, but his mouth covered hers before she could say anything and all thoughts of protest died as she went under again. He felt her hands gripping his shoulders, pulling at him as if she couldn't get him close enough. Which, in fact, was exactly how she was feeling, and she groaned loudly into his mouth as he let his full weight rest on her briefly, the difference in their sizes proving no problem as they fit together like two jigsaw pieces. Ardeth nipped at her lip and then trailed small kisses down her throat, finding the sensitive spot he had discovered before and nuzzling it. He was rewarded for the action by the soft bite she gave to his shoulder and her legs moving restlessly beneath his. The softness of her thighs rubbing against his was like the worst kind of torture and he groaned as his body hardened almost painfully. 

Charlotte felt it and pushed her hips up in an unconscious invitation, her breath panting out of her in small gasps at the exquisite sensations he was causing in her untutored body, not caring that they were both naked and that anyone could walk into the tent at any time. Nothing mattered but how she was feeling. Her legs opened to the invasion of his thigh and he smoothed them further apart with his hands until he could lay in the cradle of her hips, his hands creeping under her shoulders so he could lift her up to him, taking her mouth again as he pressed himself intimately against her. 

The gasp she gave went into his mouth and he moved against her again, sensuously, enjoying the soft tormented sounds she made. Charlotte positively writhed underneath him at the feel of his hard flesh pressed against her. It made her ache. "Please...." she whispered against his mouth, not knowing what she was asking for but wanting him to stop the aching. 

Her head fell back as his hand trespassed between her legs, touching her in a way no-one ever had. He traced the soft slick skin he found there, his fingers gently probing and finding the small nub, so sensitive to the tiniest touch as he stroked her gently, circling her. He had to kiss her again to contain the noises pulsing out of her throat as she tasted forbidden desires for the first time. Ardeth knew that somewhere deep down he should be feeling acute guilt, but he was totally focussed on what he was doing, on her responses to his every touch, and to his own desire. His caresses became more insistent, and he lay her back again, moving further down the bed so he could settle between her widespread thighs, his eyes taking in the shell pink beauty of her concealed flesh. 

"You must make no noise, my heart," he whispered to her, and she barely heard him before he moved in and licked delicately at her most private area, his tongue flicking over the swollen nub of her desire, making her hips come up off the bedroll as pleasure that bordered on pain rocked through her body. His arm came up and pressed her hips back down, pleased to hear her muffle her cries as he licked at her again and again, delving inside to taste the nectar that her passion evoked. His own passion threatened to overwhelm him as he tasted her, and he knew he had to have her soon, before he spilled himself. When the pleasure became too intense for her, she tried to squirm away from him, vaguely frightened at the total loss of control. But Ardeth anchored her there, refusing to let her move an inch as he let one long finger ease inside her, stretching the tight flesh and deepening the contact until she arched up and convulsed under his openly watchful gaze. Before she even had time to draw a breath he had settled between her thighs again and was pushing insistently against her. She jerked slightly at the feel of him and her eyes flew to his as he started to slowly enter her, murmuring words of encouragement all the while. He looked so incredibly tense, she thought foggily while her mind was still working. The sudden pain that knifed through her was unexpected and she gasped, biting her lip and wincing, trying to pull back from him. But Ardeth had been expecting it and he stilled, holding her beneath him, kissing her softly, slowly, until she got used to the feel of him. He felt her body relax and slowly pushed harder, completing his possession of her, smiling as he felt the ease of his passage. 

His hand shakily pushed the hair back from her face and he searched her eyes, taking in the faint embarrassment in them. "You are brave, my love, brave and so beautiful I cannot control myself," he whispered, smiling tenderly down at her, his cheeks slightly flushed with the desire that was riding him. Charlotte blushed, wondering how he could talk at a time like this, and he grinned at her expression, bending to kiss her again, teasing her lips with his until she followed him, trying to get him to kiss her properly. The moment his mouth covered hers he began to move, slowly at first, pushing deeper, deeper inside her. His hands gripped her hips and pulled her to him as he moved, showing her how to move with him. She felt herself tightening under the powerful movements of his body as it lifted and fell against her and pushed up blindly, seeking the fulfilment she somehow knew he could give her. He couldn't believe how quickly she was making him lose control. She was a virgin, for the sake of Allah! But the feel of her arms snaking around his neck and pulling him hard against her made what little control he did have snap. He drove against her, thrusting into her softness mindlessly as he searched for the elusive pleasure his body needed, pushing her quickly towards a completion which totally overwhelmed her senses and he watched her face contort, her body whip against his. He felt her convulsions squeezing him tightly, her heat enveloping him and finally gave himself up to his own satisfaction, his head thrown back and a muffled groan issuing from him as he released inside her. 

Charlotte felt as if she were drowning, she couldn't take one complete breath and her body was still set in a painful arch as she felt him stiffen and then shake as spasms of intense pleasure took him. The weight of his body relaxing over her was slightly uncomfortable, but she held on to him and closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing, not caring right then if she died. Ardeth was having the same problem. That, and the fact that he was beginning to feel guilty now that his mind was beginning to work properly again, albeit slowly. He should have known better, he shouldn't have taken advantage of her. But Allah, she felt good. His arms tightened on her briefly before he realised he was resting his full weight on her slight from, and he moved away with a muttered apology and lay next to her, pulling the sheet over their nakedness. 

No matter how thoroughly he searched for something to say, nothing was what he found. There were no excuses good enough for defiling her in the eyes of his God, and out of wedlock too. Charlotte shifted nervously under the sheet, wondering if this was what normally happened between couples. Did they just go silent? What if she had been a disappointment to him? 

Her eyes darted to Ardeth, but he was staring fixedly at the roof of the tent, his brows drawn together. As if he felt her eyes on him he turned to face her and frowned. "I am sorry." 

Now she was really confused. "Sorry? What for? Sorry we did...well...." 

"No! No, not for that. Never for that. I am sorry that I took advantage of you, sorry that I didn't give you any choice. I have besmirched your good name, and I did not even have the grace to ask you first. The way I acted is shameful. But I do not regret the pleasure I gave you, nor the pleasure you gave in return." 

He was shocked to feel her hand touching his face softly. "You haven't besmirched my name. No-one knows, and you're going to marry me, aren't you?" 

"Yes, I am going to marry you. But it makes no difference that no-one knows, my sweet. We are in full view of Allah, he may judge me for what has happened here." 

"But...surely Allah would understand love?" she asked, biting her lip as she saw real worry in his eyes. "Surely it isn't forbidden to express that love?" 

Ardeth smiled at her reasoning and gave a mental shrug. "Perhaps not. He would not deny me the pleasure of laying with you, I am sure, once he has seen your beauty." 

Charlotte blushed again and then gave a tiny smile, lowering her eyes. "I...er...I liked what you did," she said shyly. 

"I hurt you," he said abruptly and she looked at him, seeing him frown. He stopped her when she would have spoken. "Yes, I did, I saw it, I felt it. I hurt you." 

"Only a bit, at first. But that's normal isn't it? It would have hurt with anyone." 

He didn't like that. It made him picture her with other men, giving herself to them and not him. "It was never going to happen with anyone else though. Not since the day I first saw you. You were mine from then on, even if you did not know it. From this moment on, no man will lay a hand on you, unless he is a relative." 

"I wouldn't want them to," she said softly, closing her eyes as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you, Ardeth." 

"And I you. You are my world, Charlotte, never doubt that," he said, clasping her hand in his and pulling her close to him. "We must get dressed soon, I am afraid. The sun has risen already and people will start arising at any moment. It would not do to be seen leaving your tent at such an early hour." 

"I suppose not," she replied, snuggling against him and sighing. "Ardeth, can we do that again sometime?" 

He started laughing at the way she asked, almost as a child would ask for another sweet. "Yes, my lady, we can do that every night when we are married, perhaps more than once." 

"More than once?" she asked, shocked. 

His laughter increased. "Ah, you are good for me, Charlotte. I have a lot to teach you about the art of love, and I shall enjoy every second of the lessons!" 

_****Okay, there you have it. But what will happen next? Will it be good or bad? Only I know....mwahhahahaha! (very evil laugh!) And I haven't written it yet!! You may have to wait some time as I'm neglecting my other stories and people are writing me begging e-mails. Some people have no pride! LOL****_


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

Charlotte sat with the others eating her breakfast, trying desperately not to let her recent experiences show on her face. She was sure they would all know, but no-one seemed to be looking at her any differently. 

"Ready for a go at digging today?" Evy asked her, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the prospect of further excavation. 

Charlotte nodded, looking very nearly almost as excited as her cousin. "I am. Would it be alright? I mean, I don't know how to do it, and I don't want to damage anything." 

"It will be fine, don't worry. I'll show you how to dig carefully, and you can just follow my lead. Who knows what we might find?" 

"Something dangerous, something deadly, possibly something that will curse the entire world to darkness..." Rick said, frowning when Evy put her hand over his mouth. 

"Ignore him, he's a pessimist. Come on, let's leave misery guts here and get some tools!" Evy said, removing her hand from her husbands face with a gentle stroking motion and then standing up. 

Charlotte followed her, looking around to see Ardeth, but he was obviously still with his men. He had crept out of her tent just as noises could be heard from some distance away, leaving her with a soft kiss and a wicked glint in his eyes. She had been grateful that no-one appeared to have seen him go. 

Grayson glanced up from the work he was doing when he saw the two women approach and his eyes narrowed appreciatively on Charlotte. It was a shame that he wouldn't be able to enjoy the young girl before she was sacrificed, he did love women. But it just wasn't possible. Aslar had informed him only that morning that he thought he was being watched, that they both were, so they were going to have to be very careful. He gave cheery smile when Evy stopped next to him and crouched down, looking at the small pit he had been digging in. 

"You made an early start!" she said, poking a finger in the sand. "Have you found anything interesting?" 

He stared at her and shook his head, his eyes dropping briefly to her cleavage before reluctantly returning to her eyes. "Not yet, but I have high hopes for this location."  
Evy nodded, trusting his judgement as he had always been uncannily good at locating treasures. "Hmm, well, point me where you want me. Charlotte's going to help me today, if that's no problem?"  
"Indeed? No, it's not a problem at all, I assure you," Grayson said, giving the younger woman a look that made her shiver. "I hope you make your first discovery today, and you must enjoy yourself." He smiled at her strangely and then turned back to Evy, telling her where she should begin, and he watched them walk away to start work. A gut feeling told him they were very close to finding something and he raised his eyes to the top of the sand dune that they worked below, spotting Aslar watching him. Although he couldn't make out his face, he knew what the other man's expression would be like. He was absolutely certain the he would be wearing that irritating sneer, impatient to begin the trail of his legacy. Well, he would have to wait, Grayson thought with a smirk, at least until they found something in all this damn sand. Years of archaeology had brought him only minor fame and even less fortune, and he had been biding his time until he could fulfil his own destiny. Aslar wasn't the only one with ancestors, and it was fortunate for the other man that they had the same goal in mind, or else Grayson would have already arranged his death. 

**** 

They worked all day under the blazing sun, stopping only for lunch. Charlotte gave no complaint for the temperature she was working under, finding it quite fascinating, even thought she had started to feel a bit woozy in the heat. She sat back on her heels after a few hours and tipped her hat back on her head, wishing she was bald. Her hair felt heavy and uncomfortable pinned at the base of her skull and all it seemed to be doing was soaking up the sweat that ran steadily down her neck. She wondered if she should have it all cut off, as was the fashion now, but she didn't think she would be able to bring herself to do it. A sigh puffed out of her as she tried to detect a slight breeze, but there was nothing to relieve the absolute stifling pressure of the air around her. She hadn't realised what hard work this could be. Everyone else made it look so easy, although Evy appeared to be as hot as she was. 

A gasp of shock escaped her when two hands came down on her shoulders, pulling her up to her feet in one swift movement. She turned in surprise and breathed out with relief when she saw Ardeth looking down at her. "You scared me!" she said breathlessly, one hand against her throat as her heartbeat calmed down. 

"I did not intend to startle you, my lady," he said, the smile he gave her telling her that he was remembering every detail of what had happened that morning. "I am merely concerned for your welfare. You have been out in the heat for too long now, and you have not taken enough water." 

Charlotte found herself smiling softly up at him, loving the fact that he cared about her. "Have you been spying on me?" 

"I have watched you all day, so I could be sure you were taking care of yourself. I see you are not, therefore I must take care of you myself," he said, taking her arm and pulling her along next to him as he walked towards the tents, climbing up the slope of the dune carefully and making sure she had no trouble with the steep uneven surface. 

"Where are we going?" she asked, having difficulty keeping up with his long legged stride. 

"Somewhere you can sit in the shade and take refreshment," he said as they neared the tents, and a grin lit up his face when he looked down at her. "Somewhere I can be alone with my heart." 

Charlotte felt her stomach flip over at his words, and a blush of pure delight suffused her face. "You make me feel so special," she whispered, staring at him with awe. "No-one ever made me feel that way before." 

"Then that is their mistake, my heart, because you are special," he replied, stopping and taking her hands in his, the darkness of his eyes glittering with emotion. He opened his mouth to say something else when a shout went up from the dig site, breaking the spell. 

"We had better go and see what has caused such excitement," he said, looking momentarily unhappy until he saw how disappointed she was at the interruption. With a swift look around to be sure they weren't being observed, he pulled her into his arms and bent to give her a kiss that left her legs shaking. He drew back to look down at her, his gaze heated, his hand brushing her hair tenderly away from her flushed face. "May I come to you tonight?" 

Her blush deepened, but she nodded, longing to feel again the sensations he had given her. "I look forward to it Charlotte," he whispered, smiling warmly at her. "Now, before we go back you must drink," he continued, pulling a water skin off his shoulder and holding it out to her. "You must be in good health for tonight," he said in a slow, deep voice, his lips parting in a wicked grin as he watched her start drinking straight away, her eyes widening at his words. 

After she gave the skin back to him, they went over to the dig site once more, finding Grayson and Evy hunched over a small pit whilst a group of diggers chattered excitedly. Obviously they had found something of importance, and Ardeth helped her down the slope until they reached the edge of the small crowd. 

Rick and Jonathan were standing off to one side and Rick nodded as Ardeth joined them, his hand tucked possessively under Charlotte's elbow. "How you doing, buddy?" 

"I am doing well, my friend," Ardeth replied, smiling at Rick. "What is it they have found?" 

Rick shook his head and shrugged. "Damned if I know, we can't get near enough to see anyway. But if I know Evy, she'll be rushing over here at any second so she can show us!" 

Sure enough, a short while later Evy jumped up and looked around her, grinning when she spotted them standing not far away and she ran over to them, pushing her way through the workers. "Look!" she said excitedly, holding out her hands. She was holding an intricate silver bracelet, small writings covering the metal all over. "Isn't it beautiful? Such exquisite craftsmanship," Evy continued, turning the jewellery over in her hands and studying the engravings. "I can't quite make out everything on here though. The outside doesn't make much sense, it's very disjointed. Gray said that it's probably because you need all three bracelets together to read what they say. That would make some sense I suppose, since the Egyptians often did strange things like that. The inside is almost completely unintelligible, unfortunately." 

Charlotte stared at the bangle and reached out to touch it, feeling an almost imperceptible tingle in her fingertips when they made contact with the metal. "It's so pretty," she murmured, staring at the strange hieroglyphs on the surface. "Have they found the other two yet?" 

"Not yet, but Gray thinks they'll be deeper in the pit, perhaps buried one under the other at intervals. He said that the tomb in Deir el-Bahari had writings that said something of that sort, so I fully believe we'll have them all by the time it gets dark." Evy grinned at her husband as he took the bracelet from her, studying it carefully. 

"Very pretty. I suppose you'll be wanting a replica of this when we get home?" he asked her, arching one eyebrow knowingly. 

"Well, it is nice, and I'd look good wearing three of them wouldn't I?" Evy said, batting her eyelashes up at him, making him laugh. 

"Well, yeah, I guess you win honey. You'll have to make drawings of these so we can get them made correctly though," he said, rolling his eyes at her triumphant look. 

Ardeth watched the by-play between the couple and gave a small smile, his eyes shooting to Charlotte to find her looking at him in return, and he took her hand in his and placed a small kiss on her fingers. 

Jonathan watched all of this with bemusement, still finding it difficult to believe that this man was human. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the bauble Evy was holding. "Is it worth anything?" he asked, naming the one thing that he really and truly believed in - profit. 

Evy shot him a disgusted look. "The value of the silver wouldn't be too high, but the market value for an artefact of this standard would be astronomical. But you, dear brother, are not having it!" 

"Did I ask for it?" he asked, arching his eyebrows and pursing his lips. "I was merely interested, that's all." 

"Yeah, sure you were," Rick muttered, smiling at his brother-in-law. "We know you too well Jonathan. Don't be too disappointed, I'm sure there are other things you can get your grubby hands on!" 

"Jolly good!" Jonathan said, almost rubbing his hands together with the thought of any money coming out of this trip. He wasn't remotely insulted by the way Evy and Rick spoke to him, he knew that deep down - very deep - they liked him well enough. He turned to Charlotte. "Want to come and look at what the professor's doing, old girl?" 

"I'd love to," she said, smiling at him and then biting her lip when she looked at the man she loved. "If it's okay?" 

Ardeth smiled and nodded, his eyes warm. "You do not need my permission to leave my side, my lady. But I freely give it," he said, bowing his head slightly and releasing her hand slowly. "I have duties to perform, so I shall have to leave you anyway." 

"Oh, okay, but....I will see you later won't I?" she asked quietly, looking worried. 

Ardeth gave her a sexy smile and raised one eyebrow. "As we have spoken about," he replied, grinning as she blushed. He bowed again and then walked away, his faint chuckles floating back to her from a distance away. 

"I can't say I've ever really seen him smile like that," Jonathan said as he led her towards the professor. "I think he's smitten with you, young Charlie. Are you sure you really want to marry him?" 

"I do, I love him," she said softly, looking over her shoulder once more at the retreating figure in black. 

Jonathan smiled. "Then I'm happy for you, old girl. You deserve to be happy, more than anyone else I know."  
Charlotte impulsively hugged him, feeling cared for possibly the first time in her life. Evy and Jonathan had always been there in the background for her, and they had never judged her, just accepted her as she was. Her own mother had never done that, and now it was too late to wish she had. She was grateful in a way that she would be the one bringing Billy up, because she would hate for him to get a complex. 

"Ah, well, well," Jonathan said, sounding a tad uncomfortable with her show of affection. "We should see what Grayson's doing, shouldn't we?" 

She drew back and nodded at him, grinning when a big smile broke out on his face. "I'm glad you came Jonathan, it's fun being here with you." 

"At last, someone who appreciates me!" he said loudly, shooting a narrow eyed glare back at Rick before turning his attention to where the professor was crouching down. "I say, Professor, care to share your finds with us?" 

"Of course!" Grayson said, sounding more excited than Charlotte had yet heard him. "You've seen the first bracelet of course? Well, look, here's the start of another. They just buried them in the sand, can you imagine? Not even in a box or anything. Still, apart from a touch of tarnishing, they're in remarkably good condition. I only hope all three are here!" 

"I expect they are," Jonathan said, looking interested for a change. "Need any help at all?" 

"No, it's really a one man job, but feel free to stay, Jonathan. You too, Charlotte," he said, smiling a her in that weird way again. "I'm sure this will hold a lot of interest for you." Because it will involve you in ways you can't even imagine now, he thought, his eyes glinting wickedly before he dropped them back to his work. 

***** 

After another couple of hours Grayson triumphantly laid the three bracelets out in front of him, staring at their beauty and seeing far more. Unlike the others, he could see the power these baubles could grant him, and so his happiness knew no bounds. His eyes flicked up disapprovingly when Ardeth joined them, sitting far too close to Charlotte for his liking. She had to be a virgin for the ceremony to bestow the great power to him. Aslar had told him that even though Ardeth was acting like a fool, he would not forsake his morals or a wedding ceremony, so he trusted that Charlotte would remain innocent until he needed her. But the way she looked at the robed man made him uneasy, there was far too much emotion in her eyes. He shrugged, perhaps it was just love, he thought, something he had never felt before. A smile tugged at his lips as he continued watching them. As for physical love, that was something Charlotte would never feel. A pity, he thought, blissfully unaware that she had already lost the innocence he so needed. 


	23. Chapter 23

_****Okie dokie, here we are again! Sexual content in this chapter, so you have been warned!!****_****

****

****

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

Later that night Charlotte lay back on her blankets and rolled over restlessly, trying to get into a comfortable position. Ardeth had said he would come to her, but she had lain awake for hours and there was no sign of him. She felt ashamed of the fact that her body was longing for his touch, and she wondered what people would think of her if they knew. She really would be labelled a whore, she thought, even in England. Especially in England, she corrected herself and grimaced. She hoped she'd never have to go back there again, especially if she wasn't married. That thought made her frown. Why wouldn't she be married? She and Ardeth would be returning to his village for the ceremony as soon as they had finished here. But some small niggling doubt was lurking in her head, and she had no idea why. Perhaps it was intuition, but if that was so, then something was going to happen to stop the wedding. She sat up abruptly and chewed on her lip. Why was she having these awful thoughts? Hopefully it was just because Ardeth wasn't there with her, she thought. 

She gave a startled yelp when a figure suddenly slid into the tent, relaxing when Ardeth got close enough for her to see. "I seem to have made a habit out of startling you," he murmured, pulling his weapons and outer robe off with little effort before he joined her, pulling her to her feet so he could embrace her. 

"I thought you weren't coming," she said softly, closing her eyes and breathing deeply when he pulled her tight to him and pressed her against his entire length. 

"As if I could stay away. I am late because some of the men started a fight," he explained, nuzzling at her jaw gently, his beard tickling her skin. 

"They...they were fighting? Why?" she asked, leaning her head further back as he trailed small kisses down her neck, his tongue flicking out to feel her pulse beating frantically beneath the skin. 

"Ah...one of my men, Aslar, was lecturing Khalid on the proper behaviour of one of our people. Khalid took offence," he explained, nipping at her soft skin and eliciting a moan of approval. "You like that, my heart?" 

"Mmm," she murmured, unable to say anything else as he nipped at her again, reaching down to lift her gown slowly over her head, his eyes feasting on the flesh he revealed where it gleamed like pearl in the faint light from the moon. He wished he could light a lamp so he could see her in more detail, but it was too risky. Their silhouettes would be drawn clearly on the canvas walls and people would see them, and that was something he would not allow. His hands took the weight of her breasts, and he smiled when she gave a soft whimper at the feel of his strong fingers caressing her so softly. His head bent and he teased one hard peak with soft licks, swirling his tongue around it as it hardened even more, ragged sounds coming from her throat as he showed her mercy and sucked on the velvety flesh. Tremors of pleasure shot through Charlotte and she clutched his shoulders, feeling her legs starting to give way under the tender assault. Ardeth chuckled softly at how easy she was to arouse, and he swept her up in his arms and bent down over the bedroll, placing her on it and then straightening to pull his own clothing off. 

Charlotte watched him, awed at how well sculpted his body was. His torso was made up of hard muscles, well defined ridges outlining them, and the dark skin covering them adding an erotic touch. She licked her lips as he moved his hands to his pants, untying them and then letting them drop down his muscular legs. Her eyes went to his groin and she blushed hotly as she looked at what it was he had been using to make her feel so good only that morning. To her eyes he looked monstrously huge and her mouth dropped open. 

"Something is wrong, my love?" Ardeth asked, dropping down next to her, totally unashamed in his nudity. He chuckled again when her eyes remained fixed to his arousal and he tilted her face up to him, raising one eyebrow. "You never looked this morning did you?" 

She shook her head, swallowing nervously. "Is it...er..." 

When she stopped he frowned and dropped a small kiss on her parted lips. "Go ahead." 

"Is it normally that big?" she asked, blurting out the question and then blushing again. 

Ardeth shook his head and grinned. "I am not fully aroused yet, my love, so it will be getting bigger than that. However, it is not all that large you know." 

"It looks huge," she said, dropping her eyes and looking at the thick shaft of flesh resting against his thigh. "How on earth did it fit?" 

He laughed. "It is nothing to be scared of, Charlotte. Touch it, and you will see that I go weak," he murmured, taking her hand and licking the palm before moving it down over his stomach and onto his most sensitive area. "Now, curl your hand around me," he instructed, hissing out a soft breath when she did so and his flesh swelled even more. "Explore my body, Charlotte, as I did yours. I am yours now, you must get used to me."  
She bit her lip uncertainly, but she couldn't deny that she was tempted, and she tightened her grip a little, her eyes shooting to his face and seeing him clench his teeth. "Did I hurt you?" she asked urgently, loosening her grip again. 

"No, it did not hurt," he said, squeezing her fingers around him again so she held him tighter still. "That feels good, my love." He still held her hand and he started a stroking movement, releasing her fingers and urging her to continue, his head going back as he strove for control. 

The forbidden feel of touching a man like this stirred Charlotte's senses, and she bent down, kissing his chest and working her way to one nipple where she began nuzzling him with her lips. The sounds he made urged her on and she sucked on him, using her teeth gently as his moans increased. She knew she was pleasing him by the steady pulsing in his hard flesh, and she intensified her stroking, kissing her way down his stomach until she was looking closely at his arousal again. Her eyes widened as she traced her fingers over his erect flesh, and then she moved them over the head, collecting the small bead of fluid there and gazing at it curiously. Before she even thought about her actions she tasted it, licking her fingertip, surprised that it wasn't unpleasant at all. 

Ardeth watched her do this and he groaned harshly, making her look at him. "Is it...alright?" she asked. 

"You wish to taste me, Charlotte?" he asked, his voice husky. She nodded and bit her lip hard, looking guilty. "There is nothing wrong in wanting to taste me as I have tasted you. If you wish to do so, you may." 

"Will you like it?" she asked, still unsure. 

"I assure you, my lady, I will love it," he said, chuckling softly as he brushed one hand over her cheek and then gently held the back of her head, guiding her to him when she bent over his erection. He hissed when her tongue flicked out and touched the tip of him, licking tentatively over the hot tight skin that was swollen beyond endurance. He didn't know if he had the strength to continue much longer, but her innocent touch was too much to resist, so he gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes closed. 

Charlotte licked at him, feeling the strangely smooth texture of his flesh, the salty flavour filling her mouth and inflaming her senses. Without conscious thought she took him in her mouth and sucked gently on him, using the way he had caressed her before as her guide. The way he started writhing under her ministrations made her realise she was doing something right, and she let her other hand delve lower and cup him in her palm, kneading his sensitive body. 

Ardeth wanted nothing more than to continue what she was doing, but he knew he was close to spilling himself and he wanted to be inside her when he did, so he reluctantly pulled her head away. His eyes narrowed as he watched his erect flesh come out of her mouth, and he dragged her up over him, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to kiss her passionately. He let his hands wander down over her hips and pulled her legs wide open so that they settled on either side of his hips, his own aroused flesh leaping up between her thighs. Eager to be sure she was as aroused as him, he ran his fingers down over her buttocks, stroking the smooth skin with increasing pleasure before delving between her legs and seeking the soft petals that hid her from him. Gently stroking his fingertips over her, he opened her up so he could probe inside her sweet body, her tightness engulfing the finger he pushed into her. He moved his finger slowly in and out of that tight warmth, drawing forth her essence and spreading it over the small nub there, rubbing her insistently as she started moaning against his mouth. When he felt her tighten even more he positioned his hard flesh underneath her and pulled her hips down onto him, sinking into her inch by inch and feeling her grip him like a hot, wet glove. She fit him, he thought hazily, while he still could, his eyes closing as intense pleasure shot through him. 

Charlotte whimpered as he completed his possession of her, looking slightly startled through the fierce desire she felt. Ardeth smiled at her and stroked her face. "This is different, yes?" 

She nodded and bit her lip when he moved his hips sharply upwards, causing spirals of pleasure to skitter across her nerves. "Move on me Charlotte," he said softly, gripping her hips and teaching her how to move to bring them both pleasure. She eagerly complied, following his lead and rocking on top of him, feeling him hit deep inside her with every upstroke, deeper than he had been the night before she was certain. The sense of fullness seemed to intensify the more she moved, and his fingers plucking at her nipples had her moaning in frustration as pleasure seemed to dodge away from her. 

Ardeth watched her through slitted eyes, and he could see when it was getting too much for her and she was losing any sort of rhythm, so he grabbed her hips and rolled them over, smiling tenderly down at her when her eyes popped open. 

"It is easier this way, my love, when you need more," he whispered, claiming her mouth in a deep kiss as he started thrusting into her hard and fast, his hips snapping forward. 

She felt herself stretch almost painfully as he pumped into her in rapid strokes, but it was obviously what she had needed, and she arched up to meet each stroke, whimpering into his mouth. His brows were drawn down in a fierce frown as he worked to bring them both to climax, and a smile of triumph broke out on his face when she went stiff underneath him, her muscles going into violent spasm around his shaft and throwing him over the edge with her. His mouth was still covering hers and he swallowed her cries of fulfilment, groaning harshly along with her while his body shuddered and his release washed inside her in a wave. He managed to weakly roll them again so she was laying on top of him and then he released her lips, breathing unevenly as he stared up into her flushed face. "I believe this will get better every time we do it," he said, smiling wickedly at her deepening blush. "I have never known such pleasure, my lady." 

"Really?" she asked, her voice husky and shaking slightly with the diminishing tremors still running through her. 

"Really," he assured her, stroking her face and smiling. "Let me rest a while, and we shall do that again." 

"Again? But...well surely you're...er..." she stammered, groaning in embarrassment and hiding her face against his shoulder. 

Ardeth chuckled and ran his hands over her smooth back, tracing her soft skin. "I am not satisfied yet, my love. I would be happy to do this until dawn painted the sky, but I must leave before then. However, there is still time," he murmured, nuzzling her neck and smiling as his body started to quicken again. 

Charlotte gasped as she felt him and would have spoken, but he took her mouth again and rolled her beneath him, wiping all thoughts from her mind with the first thrust of his once again aroused body. 

***** 

Grayson stood in his tent, a small lantern lighting up the three bracelets that he had laid out in front of him. He knelt there and smiled. If only his ancestor could see that the plan he had formed so many centuries ago was now coming to fruition. He took a small knife from his pocket and unfolded the blade, running it swiftly over the pad of his thumb so that the skin split open and blood started to drip steadily from the cut. Dropping the knife, he pressed his thumb on the inside of each bracelet, making sure that a good amount of blood touched the silver, before sitting back and watching carefully. As it had been written, his blood seemed to boil on the delicate metal and then spread with alarming speed over the inner surface until a thin red skin was formed over all the writings. He continued watching as the blood slowly seemed to disappear and then he picked one of the bracelets up, looking carefully at the inside and smiling with amazement. The prophecy had been correct, and the ancient blood that ran through his veins had revealed the displacement spell that had been hidden for thousands of years. Imhotep could now be raised from the dead with no need of a journey to Ahm Shere. 

Grayson knew basically what Imhotep looked like from Evy's descriptions, and he knew that over the centuries the family resemblance had changed completely, but he wondered if the priest would know him as his own blood. He couldn't wait to find out. 

_*****Dan, Dan, Daaaaaaaan! What will happen next? Will the professor do something bad? When will I post again? Ahh, all these unanswered questions!!! LOL. Hope you enjoyed it so far and I'll try and update soon!*****_


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

Some time later Aslar stealthily dipped into the tent, his eyes glinting when he saw the bracelets in front of Grayson, and the way the professor was studying the inner surface. 

"It is done?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with an unholy light. 

Grayson nodded and smiled. "It is. Everything we need is right here, all we have to do is get the girl away from the others." 

"That will be hard. Ardeth is quite serious about marrying her," Aslar spat, sneering with disgust. "You said you would get her to betray him?" 

"Yes, and I will. I'm just wondering if it will be enough to get her family away from her as well. If she has no-one it will make our job that much easier." 

"We will need to plan well, it seems. To that end, I have an idea, one which will help rid me of some of my problems," Aslar said, sitting down on the sand gracefully. 

The professor sat and listened to the Med-jai, a cold smile curving his lips as he agreed with what the other man had thought up. 

**** 

Three days passed and Charlotte spent as much time as she possibly could at Ardeth's side, both of them trying to act decently in front of all the others so no-one would suspect anything had happened between them. But she was sure that it was obvious, because she couldn't keep her eyes off his face, blushing whenever he looked at her and gave her that slow, sexy smile he was so good at. He had only been able to visit her at night one more time, and he had regretfully informed her that he would be on watch at night for the next week, possibly longer, as he had had to despatch some riders to another area. The only good thing about that was the fact he had sent Aslar away with the riders. Charlotte found the way the other man often looked at her disconcerting, and it scared her. A few days without him around the camp would be very welcome, especially since he always seemed to be watching her and Ardeth. 

It was early evening and the sun was starting to sink slowly below the horizon, sending out streamers of bright orange and deep red to colour the sky as it went. Charlotte and Ardeth sat slightly apart from the others near the campfire, close together but not touching as they could be observed by many of the other people, but she wanted to touch him and her fingers twitched slightly where they rested in her lap. 

Ardeth looked down at the brief movement and smiled slowly, his dark eyes sparkling as they caught hers. "There is something wrong, my lady?" 

"I just wish...well, I wish we were alone," she whispered, looking at him with longing. 

"As do I," he said, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips so he could kiss it. She gasped a little when his tongue flicked out and caressed her knuckles, then he lowered it gently to her lap again, making sure to brush his fingers over her thigh. 

"That...that's not fair," she said shakily, biting her lip at the rush of feeling that went through her at the careless touch. 

He gave another wicked smile. "I know." 

Charlotte glared at him and then quickly looked away, seeing that Evy was looking at them with a small smile, her eyes sparkling. "Is everything alright, Charlie?" 

"Fine, thank you. I'm just er...a little tired," she improvised, hoping she looked slightly less shaky than she felt. She heard Ardeth give a small chuckle next to her and she wanted nothing more than to slap him. 

Evy nodded and gave another strange smile before snuggling up to her husband and chatting to the assembled group about their finds. Charlotte shot Ardeth a glare and unobtrusively pinched his hand. 

He looked shocked and frowned at her. "Why are you attacking me?" 

"When I attack you, you'll know all about it!" she hissed, trying not to smile at his horrified expression. "That's for touching me!" 

"And you do not like it when I touch you?" he asked, smirking slowly, his lips a sensual temptation for her. He saw the way she was looking at his mouth and his smile widened. "You would like to feel my lips again, my love?" 

She nodded dumbly, and bit her lip. "I wish we were already married," she admitted and his chest seemed to swell at her words. 

"And to think that I believed you did not want to marry me," he murmured, brushing his hand down her soft cheek, his eyes full of love. 

"I hate not being able to touch you," she said softly, darting a hand up to touch his where it rested on her face. 

"No more than I do," he said, caressing her fingers as he lowered his hand. "Perhaps a brief walk?" 

"Can we?" she asked eagerly and he chuckled again. 

"Yes, we can. I do not believe our absence will cause too much fuss," he told her, rising to his feet and helping her up beside him. Evy and Rick were the only ones who saw them walk away and they just gave small smiles, knowing that they needed time on their own and remembering how they had been. 

Ardeth guided Charlotte to a secluded spot at the base of a sand dune, and he drew her quickly into his arms, smiling tenderly down at her. "We do not have much time, we must be quick," he explained before he lowered his mouth to hers and toyed with her lips in a leisurely fashion, belying his words of a moment before. 

It didn't take long before he had her moaning under the insistent pressure of his mouth and he smiled again, giving in to both their needs and deepening the kiss, his tongue exploring every crevice of her mouth. She gave as good as she got and ran her tongue along the line of his teeth, probing under them and twining her tongue around his so she could taste him. He broke the kiss and drew back, gasping in a breath as he pressed her body tighter against his. "You learn quickly my lady," he said huskily, bending to nuzzle her neck as his arousal swelled against her. 

"Is...is that alright?" she asked, closing her eyes at the feel of his lips nibbling at her neck. 

"Hmm, that is perfectly alright, my lady, I like it," he murmured, biting her skin gently and then pulling back. "However, I have started something I cannot finish, not here," he said, looking annoyed. 

"But I want you," she blurted out, not caring if it sounded shameless to say such a thing. 

He smiled and hugged her. "I am glad, because I want you too, right now. But it cannot be." 

Charlotte frowned. "Maybe I should go and find someone else to kiss and...stuff," she said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at him, a mischievous smile tilting her mouth. "I'm sure the professor would be only too glad to oblige!" 

Ardeth's eyebrows shot up and then he frowned. "Do not even think about it, Charlotte." 

He sounded so serious that she lost the smile. "I was only joking," she said, placing one hand over his heart. "I wouldn't ever do something like that. I love you." 

She felt him relax under her touch and she realised she really shouldn't have said what she had. But then he smiled at her and she relaxed a little. "Do not ever joke about such a thing, Charlotte. You are mine now, you understand?" 

She nodded and gave a small pleased smile at his possessiveness. "I won't do it again. You do realise you're mine now too?" 

"Oh, I had no doubt about that," he murmured, pulling her in for one more kiss before he hugged her tight and started to calm his body down. "We must return to the camp." 

"I know, but I don't want to," she said, clutching his robes tightly and enjoying the way he had her wrapped up against him. 

"Nevertheless, we will go," he said firmly, tugging her with him as they walked towards the distant campfire. "I have to resume my duties and I am already late. It seems we will have no real privacy until we are married. Therefore, I must learn restraint," he said, glancing down at her with glittering eyes, "as must you." 

She looked up at him and couldn't help smiling at his wicked look. "You were the one who dragged me off," she reminded him. 

"And you were the one who wanted me to," he shot back, grinning light-heartedly. "Do not try and place the blame on me, my heart, you are insatiable." 

She blushed. "That's your fault," she murmured. 

They were near enough the campfire now for him to see the colour in her face and he gave a small laugh. "You are still shy with me, my love, after everything that has happened? I find I like this," he whispered, stroking his fingers down her face and feeling the heat beneath the skin. "And when we are alone once more, I will show you just how much." 

She blushed even more and he kissed her fingers, leaving her with Evy as he went off to stand watch. 

Evy and Rick both gave her speculative glances, and Rick whispered something in Evy's ear, making her giggle. Charlotte didn't even notice, she was too absorbed with watching Ardeth walk off into the dark, admiring his long legged stride and his grace of movement. 

***** 

Grayson watched as Ardeth brought Charlotte back from wherever he had taken her. They hadn't been gone long enough for anything too involved to have happened, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was time to act, he decided, time to make people doubt her in some way. A smile tilted his lips and he starting planning out exactly what he would do. A small spell of illusion would be sufficient, and he only needed one person to witness what happened for a seed of doubt to be sown. 

Making an excuse so he could leave, he walked away from the camp and made his way to his tent. His books had provided him with many spells and incantations in the past, but the magic he used was all his own, and he loved having an opportunity to use it. He closed his eyes as he sank down onto his knees, and starting intoning the ancient words he needed, his deep voice hushed inside the tent as he directed the spell in Charlotte's direction. Smiling when he finished chanting, he stood up and walked slowly around the back of the group of people at the fire, making sure that all the Med-jai were out of his way as he walked towards Charlotte. He stopped in the darkness, staring at her small form and smiling again. "Come to me," he whispered and held his hand out towards her, watching the way she suddenly swung her head around to look behind her. Her eyes locked on his and she gave a tiny smile, getting to her feet and walking slowly over to him, unobserved by the others. 

"Ardeth, I thought you had to go on watch," she said as he took her hands, her eyes looking at him with such love that he wished he really was Ardeth Bay. To her eyes, of course, that was exactly who he was. But to all the others, he would just be himself. 

"I just couldn't keep away," he murmured, hearing the deep accented voice of the fearless leader coming from his mouth. "I wanted just one more kiss from those sweet lips." 

Charlotte smiled at his words and put her hands on his shoulders, letting him pull her in to his embrace as she tilted her head back to receive his kiss. Grayson studied her for a second and then lowered his head, kissing her roughly and deeply, determined he would get as much out of this kiss as he could. He was by no means unskilled in the art of seduction, and despite the roughness of his ardour, he knew she was enjoying what his mouth was doing to hers. It made him wonder if Ardeth had ever kissed her in quite this way, but he doubted it. The Med-jai chieftain looked like he had little passion running through his blood as far as Grayson was concerned. 

He let his hand run down Charlotte's back and he cupped her buttocks, lifting her up to press against his aroused body. The fact that she wasn't shocked at such a blatant caress didn't impinge on his consciousness, and he continued to enjoy her mouth. He knew it wouldn't take long for someone to notice them, and it was Evy who looked around and gave an audible gasp, making Rick turn to see what she was looking at. 

He gaped at the sight before him, unable to believe that Charlotte was standing there in the darkness kissing the professor, and apparently enjoying every second of it. "What the hell is she doing?" he asked his wife, narrowing his eyes as the professor's hands squeezed the girl's backside. 

"I don't know....I don't understand," Evy whispered, blinking in confusion. "If Ardeth sees them..." she tailed off, not having to finish that sentence. She knew that Ardeth would go mad, and he would probably kill one of them, or both. The one thing she had learnt about the desert tribes, was that they were incredibly possessive when it came to their women, and no-one dared touch someone's wife unless they had a death wish. To all intents and purposes, Charlotte was Ardeth's wife. 

Evy continued to look as the professor drew away from her cousin and took her hand, kissing the knuckles before walking into the inky blackness that surrounded them. Charlotte stood there for a second and then walked unsteadily back to the fire, sitting down with a dreamy smile on her face. 

"Charlie...is everything alright?" Evy asked her, surprised that the other girl didn't look remotely guilty. 

"Yes, thank you. Why?" she asked, frowning at the way Rick and Evy were looking at her. They looked almost...acusing. 

"It's just...well, we saw you two kissing," she whispered, frowning. 

"Oh. Oh I see, I suppose we shouldn't really do that in the open. I know...it's just, I couldn't help myself," Charlotte said, biting her lip and shrugging. 

"But, Charlie..." Evy began again, staring in astonishment as her cousin didn't even seem remotely guilty at what she had been doing. "I thought that you and Ardeth...er...that you were going to be married?" 

Charlotte frowned now. "Well, yes, we are. Evy, what's wrong? I don't see the problem, unless it's got something to do with Ardeth's culture?" 

"His culture?" Rick said, shaking his head with surprise. "I would think it had something to do with any man's culture when his bride is standing there in full view of everyone getting herself kissed and groped!" 

Charlotte blushed at his words. "I suppose it could have waited," she said softly, still able to feel the thoroughness of Ardeth's last kiss. 

"Could have _waited_?" Rick burst out and then quieted down when Evy smacked his arm. 

"I'll talk to Ardeth, he'll understand," Charlotte mused, thinking that she'd have to tell him they shouldn't be touching each other in company like that. To Evy and Rick her words had an entirely different meaning. 

"You don't know him at all, do you?" Rick said, his voice hard as he got up and stalked away, angry for his friend at her betrayal and her apparent ease with the whole situation. 

Charlotte stared after him in shock and then looked at Evy. "I don't understand," she said, wondering what had made them so angry. 

"That's fairly obvious, Charlie," Evy said, sighing deeply and getting up. "Listen, I don't know what it is you're up to. But please, just think before you act next time okay?" She gave a worried smile and walked off to join her husband, leaving Charlotte staring after them dumbfounded. 

_****Okay, sorry it's a bit short and maybe a bit....hmm...slow? It took me forever to write each sentence and the whole process has become painful now! I know where I want this story to go, it's just hard getting there! Ah, writers block, such a great thing eh? Hopefully I'll shrug this off soon and come back with more, but for now, deepest apologies!****_


	25. Chapter 25

_**** Okay, I'm thinking maybe I've got this writers block thing licked....hmm, maybe not. Still, I have ideas popping into my head, this can only be good.****_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

Ardeth came off watch just as the sun was rising and he went straight to Charlotte's tent, easing inside after looking around quickly. She was laying asleep on her side, her hair a riot of tangles around her head, and he smiled at the picture she made, his chest clenching with emotion. To think that this sweet creature would soon be waking up in his bed every morning, he thought, and his smile widened. He discarded his weapons and outer robes and lay down next to her, drawing her slight body back against his as he spooned around her. 

Charlotte stirred in her sleep and unconsciously pressed back against his warmth, murmuring unintelligibly when he nuzzled her neck. She only came awake when he chuckled against her skin, and her eyes shot open as she turned her head, staring into his warm, melted chocolate eyes and smiling drowsily. "Good morning," she murmured, blinking to try and keep her eyes open. 

"Good morning to you, my sweet. Have you slept well?" he asked, his voice deep and smooth, the sound of it making a shiver work it's way up her spine. 

"Mmm-hmm," she murmured, her eyes losing their fight to stay open and drifting closed again as he wrapped his big arms around her. 

"Go back to sleep, my heart," he whispered to her, closing his own eyes and sighing contentedly. "We have some time yet before the others arise." 

Charlotte barely heard him, her breathing evening out again as she fell back into a dreamless sleep, lulled by his deep breathing and warm body. 

When she next opened her eyes it was to find herself alone, and she looked blearily around the tent, seeing that the sun must be fairly high in the sky for so much light to be coming through the canvas. She wondered briefly if she had been dreaming Ardeth's morning visit, but surely not. Her dreams couldn't be that vivid, or that tactile. She hadn't imagined his arms closing around her waist or his sexy voice whispering in her ear. She shivered as she thought about him and instantly smiled, wondering how she had ever become lucky enough to meet such a man. Her life in England seemed distant and dull now, and she knew that both her and Billy would have a far better life here, no matter how primitive some people may think it. It suited her. 

She yawned and stretched and forced herself to get out of bed, her body feeling oddly languorous this morning. She stretched again when she stood up and hurriedly set about cleansing herself with the ever present washbowl full of water, donning some fresh clothing and venturing out of the tent into the blinding sunlight. 

The first person she saw was Rick and he gave her a hard glare, looking like he wanted to say something and then turning away and walking off, leaving her staring after him once again. Evy turned when she made her way over to the dig site and she gave her a tentative smile. 

"Good morning," Charlotte said, suddenly unsure of her welcome and not knowing why. There was definitely an air of tension surrounding them, and it confused her. "Evy, what's the matter with Rick?" she asked, frowning as she sat down near her cousin. 

"It's nothing, just...what happened last night. He's still a bit shocked and frankly, Charlotte, so am I," Evy said, looking worriedly at Charlotte. 

"I'm confused," Charlotte said, about to find out exactly what it was that had offended her cousin, when Grayson came up to them. 

He had been waiting for Charlotte to appear and he had seen Evy start talking to her. The last thing he needed was Evy telling her what she had seen, at least just yet. Eventually it wouldn't hurt for the young girl to find out she had been kissing him, but for now ignorance of the facts suited his purpose. "Good morning ladies," he said jovially, grinning at Evy when she gave him a strange look. "Ready to find some more artefacts?" 

Charlotte looked up at him and gave him a friendly smile. "Certainly. What are we looking for today?" 

"Whatever we can find, dear lady," he said, bending and taking her hand to pull her to her feet. Evy watched the way he held her cousin's hand and the familiar way he put his other hand in the small of her back, guiding her away, and she hoped Charlotte would be a little more circumspect today. She shuddered to think of what would happen if Ardeth saw them together. She sighed and shook her head, knowing there was nothing she could really do about it except keep an eye on Charlotte and make sure she didn't get hurt. 

They spent the best part of the morning digging in the sand, and Charlotte seemed to spend an awful lot of time sitting near Grayson, at least to Evy's eyes. Rick saw them and scowled, stomping off again with gritted teeth to stop himself from giving the girl a good shake and punching the professor on the nose. 

Ardeth appeared shortly before lunch time, and he smiled fondly down at Charlotte as he came to inspect the dig and see what had been found. 

"He doesn't seem to have noticed anything," Evy said to Rick worriedly, chewing her lip. 

"Let's just hope he doesn't," Rick put in, frowning again. "I can't believe she's acting like this. I never thought Charlotte had loose morals, but after that little show last night, I'm not so sure. Maybe Ardeth wasn't far wrong when he called her what he did." 

"Rick! That's not fair," Evy protested, taking her angry husband's hands. "We don't know why she let him kiss her, but I'll find out soon." 

***** 

Halfway through the afternoon there was a thunderous sound of hooves, and the Med-jai stood up en masse, looking towards where a cloud of sand could be seen. It was the riders returning, but there seemed to be some urgency in their approach, and it stopped all the workers. Everyone waited to see what was going on. 

Grayson gave a secretive smile, knowing what this arrival heralded, and he saw Aslar jump down from his horse and approach Ardeth, gesticulating wildly. It was his cue to start proceedings again, and he used his power to tweak everyone's minds, settling the seed of doubt firmly in their subconscious. It would be so easy now, he thought, so easy to make them believe that this girl they all trusted had betrayed them so ruthlessly. Now all he had to do was wait for an opportunity to get Charlotte on her own. He didn't have to wait long. 

Rick watched as Ardeth's expression grew horrified and he looked over to them, and he ran over to the other man to find out what had happened, Evy and Jonathan close on his heels. 

"What's happened?" Rick asked him as soon as they were close enough. 

Ardeth tightened his jaw. "The village has been attacked," he said without preamble. "Aslar has just returned. My family...some have been wounded, others...dead." 

"Oh my God, the children," Evy said with mounting horror. 

"They are unharmed," Aslar said, looking at Evy with slight contempt. "They are with Ardeth's aunt at this moment." 

"It seems that a rival tribe were given the location of our village," Ardeth continued, his face grim. "The elders told Aslar who had imparted such information, but I cannot believe..." 

"They would not lie, Ardeth, no matter how much you may wish it," Aslar said, his eyes flitting to Rick and Evy. 

"No!" he snapped, making Evy jump. "She would not do this! I must talk to her." 

"She? Who?" Evy asked, her heart beating faster with sudden fear. Surely they couldn't be talking about70; 

"Charlotte," Aslar said, his mouth drawn into a sneer. 

"You can't be serious!" Evy gasped out, one hand going to her throat as she stared at the other man. "She wouldn't do that! For heaven's sake, her own brother was there!" 

"And that must be why he was not harmed," Aslar said, nodding. 

"Where is she?" Ardeth asked, looking down at the sand in front of him, his expression still grim. 

"She's right there..." Jonathan began, turning to find both Charlotte and the professor gone from where they had so recently been standing. "Oh." 

"I will find her," Ardeth said, walking off in search of his bride, anger evident in every line of his body. 

"Oh dear God, this can't be true," Evy whispered, blinking back tears. Rick put an arm around her and pulled her in for a cuddle. 

"I hope for your cousin's sake you're right," he said, thinking again of the kiss they had witnessed. It took on a whole new meaning in the light of recent events. 

****** 

Charlotte had been staring up at the others when Grayson took her arm, pulling her around to face him. "Charlotte, I think perhaps it might be best if we packed some of the things up. It looks serious, and we may have to leave suddenly," he said, smiling as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

"What do you think has happened?" she asked, absently picking up some of the small digging implements and putting them in the box he held out for her. She so wanted to go to Ardeth, but he looked pretty busy at that moment and she didn't want to get in the way. 

"I'm not sure. But it could be that there are raiders coming close, so we must be prepared. Here," he said, handing her a box of artefacts, smiling reassuringly at her. "Let's take these things to the tents shall we? We can come right back." 

Charlotte looked one last time at the small group and then followed the professor in the opposite direction, soon losing sight of the others as they went over the top of the sand dune. She put the box in Rick and Evy's tent as directed, carefully covering everything up before she left the tent. When she got outside she was surprised to find Ardeth standing there, and she smiled up at him. 

"Ardeth! Is everything alright?" she asked as he moved closer. 

He smiled lazily down at her and lifted one hand to brush the hair from her face. "Everything is perfectly fine, do not worry yourself," he murmured, his other hand going to her waist to pull her against him. 

"You seemed a bit tense," she said, letting him wrap his arms around her. 

"No, it was merely news from some of my men, nothing for you to worry about. Come, Charlotte, I have missed you this morning, and we are all alone. Do I not deserve a kiss?" 

She smiled brightly up at him and raised her hand to touch his hair, frowning slightly when she saw the odd look in his eyes. "Are you sure everything's alright?" 

"Of course," he said, his voice a little harder, but still smooth. "Kiss me." 

Her eyes dropped to his lips and she stood on tiptoes, meeting him as he bent his head and covered her mouth with his, kissing her with a wealth of emotion she hadn't felt in quite that way before. It felt...odd, but not unenjoyable, and this was Ardeth, so she gave herself to the kiss, closing her eyes and melting against him. 

To the real Ardeth, it was a sight he would have given his life not to see. The woman he loved, whom he thought loved him, was standing in the arms of his mortal enemy, and seemingly of her own accord. His heart almost stopped beating as he watched them kiss, his Charlotte with Abu-Ibrahim, the leader of the tribe who had just attacked his village. Aslar had said that there was no doubt it was Charlotte who had betrayed them, but until now he couldn't believe it. Now he had no choice. A wave of pain washed over him, so intense that it almost brought him to his knees, but he forced himself to look at them, taking his fill of her betrayal so he would never forget. He was vaguely aware of Evy and Rick coming up next to him, heard her faint gasp of shock, and then he turned and walked away. 

"Oh my God," Evy said, tears filling her eyes as she watched Charlotte with yet another man. 

"Who is he?" Rick asked Aslar as the other man joined them. 

Aslar spat on the sand, surprising him. "He is the leader of the attacking tribe. He will die for his sins this day!" 

"How did she know him?" Evy asked, letting one tear fall. 

"What does it matter? Everything we just heard is obviously true. Damn her, she risked the life of our daughter!" Rick snarled, one hand going to his gun as he seriously thought of shooting the couple right there and then. 

"How could I not have known?" Evy said, turning her back on the embracing couple. "Oh God, Rick, they'll kill her." 

"Good, it's what she deserves. Christ, to put her own brother at risk like that? What sort of woman is she?" 

"They can't kill her," she said softly, closing her eyes and trying to stop the unusually strong anger from claiming her. 

"They'll do what they will, and we can't stop them," Rick said, putting his arm around her and hugging her tightly. "She doesn't deserve your tears Evy. Libby could have died because of her!" 

"I know," Evy said, letting him guide her away. "This just feels wrong." 

Rick filled Jonathan in on what had happened and the thinner man frowned. "She wouldn't do that," he said immediately. 

"We just saw her with the man, and he had his tongue down her throat! Now tell me again she wouldn't do that!" Rick snapped, stalking off to find Ardeth. 

Jonathan stood where they had left him, frowning. Charlotte wasn't the sort to betray anyone, why couldn't any of them see that? Regardless of what they had seen, he was unable to stop a shudder of horror from rippling through him. This was wrong. This was...just wrong. 

***** 

Aslar smiled as he looked at what appeared to be Abu-Ibrahim kissing Charlotte. He knew it was the professor, and so far everything had gone as planned. Now all he had to do was make sure that a desert death was what was ordered. 

He turned and went off in search of Ardeth, trying not to smile at how well the plan was working out. After a lengthy search, he finally saw Ardeth standing by the river, his face blank as he stared at the water. 

"My Lord?" he said, moving to stand beside him. "We must decide what to do with them." 

"Do?" Ardeth said, his voice as blank as his face, and Aslar almost felt sorry for him. Almost. But he had waited for years to hurt this man, and he was going to enjoy every moment of his pain. Eventually he would kill him with his own hands, and that was another thing to look forward to. 

"Yes, my Lord. You have not given us any orders, but surely we cannot allow them to leave?" 

Ardeth frowned at his words and turned to stare at him, regaining his senses somewhat. "No, we cannot let them leave. They will receive the same punishment any other would receive for such a crime." His voice was as dull as his eyes. 

"Death?" 

Ardeth nodded. "It is what will be expected." 

"Even the English girl?" 

"She has betrayed us all. The elders will accept nothing less than her head," Ardeth said grimly 

"Yes," Aslar said, bowing his head in agreement. "Unless..." 

Ardeth's eyes narrowed. "Unless what?" 

"Ardeth," Aslar said, reverting to a more familiar address. "She is not of our kind, she is kin to people who are good friends of yours. The elders would realise this, and would accept another form of punishment in this case, I am sure." 

Khalid walked up as Aslar was speaking, and he frowned sympathetically at his friend, knowing the pain he must be going through even though his face was blank. "What is this other punishment?" he asked, making Aslar look up at him briefly. 

"It has the same outcome, but it does not require your own hand to deal out the fatal blow," Aslar said, trying to look as sympathetic as Khalid did. "We let the desert take them." 

Khalid nodded, knowing how it would affect Ardeth to have to remove the girl's head himself. And it was certain that he would have to be the one to do it. "He is right, my friend," he said, patting Ardeth's shoulder. "This way would be better." 

Ardeth remained silent for a long time, his eyes returning to the Nile as if drawing strength from it. "Very well, let it be so," he murmured finally, his heart shattering inside his chest as he uttered the words. 


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

Charlotte frowned when Ardeth drew back from the kiss and smiled down at her. It was in a way that he had never smiled before and it made her feel uncomfortable. "Ardeth...wh-what's the matter?" 

He shook his head, his eyes full of laughter. "Nothing, Charlotte, just a matter that I now have well in hand. You should return to your tent, now," he said, pulling abruptly away from her and turning his back. 

"Ardeth? I don't understand..." 

"Go now!" he snapped and strode away from her, making her stare after him in bewilderment. She did as he bade, walking behind her into her own tent and sitting on the bedding, trying to figure out why he had suddenly started acting so strangely. Now she really thought about it, other things started to strike her as odd, things that had occurred over the last two days. Evy and Rick's behaviour with her last night and this morning...it was all very puzzling and she didn't think she would find the answers without speaking first to her cousin. To that end, she stood back up and moved to walk out of the tent again, jumping back with shock when the flap was pulled roughly open and two Med-jai barged in, each one grabbing one of her arms and dragging her out. 

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice high pitched with acute fear as she looked at their angry faces. "Please, let go..." She stopped talking when she was out in the sunlight and she saw the group of people out there waiting for her. "Evy?" she said shakily, her wide eyes flying to her cousin. She frowned when Evy shook her head and buried her face in her husband's neck. 

Rick glared at Charlotte with impotent rage, as did many of the Med-jai standing watching her being pulled out of her tent. But it was Ardeth who caught her whole attention, standing as he was in front of the others and staring at her coldly, no other trace of emotion on his face. 

"Bring her here," he said quietly, his voice totally controlled. 

When they pulled her over in front of him, she stared into his dark eyes, confused and extremely frightened by what was happening. She had no idea why everyone was suddenly looking at her as if she had killed someone, or why all the love and affection had disappeared from Ardeth's face. "Ardeth?" she whispered, her lips trembling and her eyes wide. "I don't understand..." 

He lifted his hand and struck her across the face, watching dispassionately as she went limp from the blow, only remaining upright because of the hold of the two guards. "You will not speak!" he hissed, his voice only now conveying his anger. "You have betrayed me, you have betrayed my people." 

Charlotte slowly managed to get her shaky legs to support her again and she raised her eyes to his, now filled with tears. "What? I've done nothing," she whispered, beginning to feel shock coursing through her, her hands and feet feeling oddly numb. 

Ardeth raised his hand again and she flinched, lowering her eyes and waiting for the blow, but it didn't come. "I told you not to speak. I will not warn you again," he said, his voice back to being cold again. "You have betrayed all those you once claimed to love," he continued, breathing unsteadily through his nose as he tried not to see her terrified expression. "For this crime the punishment is clearly written. Your life will be taken from you." 

Charlotte took a hitching breath and felt tears start coursing down her cheeks. How could this be? Only minutes ago he had been kissing her, everything had been fine! "Why? What have I done? Ardeth, please..." 

This time his hand connected and she fell back against one of the guards, dazed and trying to keep conscious. She was awake enough to hear his voice continue, and she wished with all her heart she actually had passed out. 

"Because of you and your lover," he spat, anger evident once more, "many people in my village have perished. You told them how to find us, you imparted information that was privileged as the friend and future wife of a Med-jai! For this you will die," he said, his tone brooking no argument as he was in full leadership role now. 

Charlotte's eyes flickered open and she stared at him uncomprehendingly, hope starting to die in her eyes at his stern countenance. "My lover? But...I....Billy! My brother...is he..." Ardeth's hand around her throat stopped her frantic stuttering. 

"Because of who you are, because of who your family are, we will not take your head. Instead, you will be given to the desert, and the sands will decide your fate. Your brother will be taken by Evelyn and O'Connell, and raised to be honest. This is my final word." Ardeth's eyes flickered with a wealth of bottled up emotion and then he nodded to the guards and they dragged her away once more, over to a waiting horse. She was lifted onto the back of the animal and her hands were tied to the saddle, the rope looped tightly around her waist so she couldn't move and then tied off. The reality of her situation was only barely beginning to impinge on her stunned mind, but she couldn't find any voice to protest in her shocked state. Her eyes lifted as another horse was led over next to her, and she saw an Arab tied to it in a similar way to herself, a man she had never set eyes on before. 

Ardeth stood back and let his men finish binding them, then he nodded to Khalid and the other man stepped forward. He glared at Charlotte like she was so much dirt. "A fitting punishment for the two who betrayed us so easily. Now you can watch each other die, and curse each other for causing the other's downfall." 

Charlotte blinked slowly. "Khalid? I don't know this man...please, I don't understand," she said and started crying as she realised what was to become of them. 

"You are a convincing liar, but it will not change anything. Save your tears, Miss Carnahan, you will need all that fluid and more once the desert claims you as it's own," he said, bowing his head and then slapping both horses hard on their rumps, making them start moving. Charlotte gave a startled scream as the animals trotted aimlessly on their way, and she had enough time to look over her shoulder and see her family standing watching her go, Evy still cuddling against Rick and unable to look. Jonathan rushed up to the group and watched her go with anger and unease on his face, the anger not directed at her. But she didn't know that, continuing to cry as the horses moved rapidly away from the camp and into the endless oblivion of the desert heat. 

Her situation was dire, and she had no idea how it had come to this. The man on the horse next to her was silent, but didn't look in the least perturbed, despite the wounds he bore from an obvious beating, and she wondered again who he was. Ardeth had said something about her and her lover...but Ardeth was her only lover. She closed her eyes and tried to stop the tears from flowing, but it was impossible. Her world had changed from a dream to a nightmare in seconds, and she didn't know why. 

As they moved further and further away from the camp, the heat started to make itself felt. It was late afternoon now, but the sun was still hot enough to peel the skin from a person if they stayed out in it too long without some sort of protection, and she had none. They had given her no head covering, nor any water. She was going to die slowly and, she imagined, painfully. 

"Don't worry so much, my dear," a voice said and she swung her head around to look at the man next to her, her mouth falling open as she saw the professor sitting next to her instead of the Arab she hadn't known. He gave a laugh at her expression and closed his eyes briefly, opening them and pulling the ropes off his body as if they had never been tied. "You're not going to die. At least, not yet. You see, I need you," he said, smiling warmly at her as if they were just sitting down for a nice meal. 

"You...you need...me?" 

"Yes. Well, your blood actually, but it's nearly the same thing isn't it? Oh dear, are you confused?" he asked sarcastically and laughed again. 

She stared at him, her brain trying to sort out what was going on. "I don't...understand...you weren't there...how did you get here?" 

He leaned towards her and grinned, snapping his fingers in front of her wide eyes, making all his wounds disappear in the blink of an eye. "Magic." 

"What's going on?" she whispered, a fresh tear slipping from her eyes and drying almost instantly on her hot face. 

"Hmm, I suppose I really should explain, shouldn't I?" he said, nodding his head. "Very well, then. You see, I'm the descendent of a very powerful Vizier. Two actually, one named Hapu-Seneb and one, who I think you may have heard of, named Imhotep. A very powerful line of priests and viziers we are, and the power hasn't diminished over the years, no matter how hard the Med-jai have tried to quell it. Anyway, I digress. I need you for a little ceremony, my dear, and I had to make sure that no-one questioned you leaving camp. Therefore, I made you betray everyone you love so dearly, just so they would be glad to see the back of you." 

"How? I don't...why?" 

"I've already said why, don't be tiresome and repeat the question now. As to how, it's a long story and it's a trifle boring, so I'd rather not go into it. Suffice to say that your precious Ardeth was easy to fool, and I'm quite sure he will be just as easy to kill," he said, smiling nastily at her. 

"Why...why would you want to kill him?" she asked in hushed tones, suddenly seeing the madness in his eyes. 

"Because he tried wiping out my line, of course. Or rather, his ancestors tried to wipe out my line. They failed, obviously, but they did succeed in killing a girl who Hapu-Seneb was very close to. Revenge has been running through my veins since the moment I was born, and now it's going to be realised." He looked at her with mock sympathy. "Confusing isn't it? Never mind, look on the bright side. I won't let the desert kill you, I'll do that myself, and I'll make it very quick." 

Charlotte's brain overloaded as she stared at him and her eyes rolled up in her head, her body collapsing forward over the saddle in a dead faint, the only thing holding her there were the ropes that she was bound with. 

Grayson gave a smile and a slight shrug. "Women, no stamina for adventure," he muttered, grabbing the reins of the other horse and leading it along as he kicked his own horse into a gallop, heading to a previously arranged destination. 


	27. Chapter 27

_****God, sorry it's taken so long, but sometimes the ideas come and won't go down on paper, if you know what I mean! Anyway, hope you enjoy the next two, because I have NO idea how long it'll be before I post again!!! But thank you, thank you, thank you, for the reviews!!****_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

Ardeth walked towards the river bank and closed his eyes, willing the sight of Charlotte's terrified face out of his head. His mind was whirling with confusion and pain. How could she have done this to him, she had seemed so genuine, so in love with him. As he was with her, he thought, squeezing his eyes tighter as he felt moisture sting them. In all his years of battle and all those who had betrayed him, none had hurt him like this did. 

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Rick standing there. "Are you...I guess it's a stupid question to ask if you're okay?" 

Ardeth shook his head. "I do not wish...I cannot...discuss this, O'Connell," he said, his voice low and husky as he fought his ragged emotions. 

"I understand, it's okay," Rick said, grimacing. "I just had to let you know that we can't find the Professor. His stuff is all here, but he's nowhere to be found." 

Ardeth looked up at him, his eyes dull. "Tell my men, they will send out a search party for him come daylight." 

Rick nodded and shuffled uneasily from foot to foot. He didn't know what to say to his friend, or what to do. "I'll leave you alone," he said finally, figuring that was probably what Ardeth needed most at that moment. 

Ardeth nodded and relaxed as his long-time friend left him to his misery, closing his eyes once more and withdrawing into himself. He needed no-one to touch him or talk to him at that moment, and his men must have sensed that, because they stayed away. 

******* 

Khalid stared down at the river from his perch atop a sand dune and he frowned. "He must be in great pain," he said, talking to Rachid who had come to sit by him. 

"I should imagine so," the other man said. "I do not like to see it. Ardeth deserves happiness." 

"And yet it seems that Allah has other plans for our great leader," Khalid murmured, troubled by the day's events. "We must ride home soon." 

Rachid nodded. "Yes, we must begin to rebuild what has been destroyed. And the O'Connells must take their child, both children." 

"I have a feeling, though," Khalid said, frowning even more. "This thing that the American calls a 'gut-feeling'? I believe it is what I have now. Something is not right here." 

"The English woman betrayed our leader, of course something is not right!" 

"No, no. Besides that, something is not right. The professor disappearing, the young girl acting so out of character, from what I could tell...Rachid, we must keep a close watch on everyone, because I believe that this is not yet over." 

"You sense something bad?" Rachid asked him, looking serious. 

"Yes, and we must be vigilant, you understand?" Khalid asked him, nodding as Rachid agreed. His eyes returned to Ardeth's solitary figure and he tried to decide when to approach his friend. Now was not the time. 

******** 

Jonathan waited until dark and then went off on his own, sitting down in the sand where he had a good view of everything around him and uncorking the bottle of whisky he had brought with him. A damn good drink would do him good right about now, and God knew he needed it to try and help his befuddled mind make sense of what had transpired. He knew instinctively that Charlotte had done nothing wrong, but every time he had tried to talk to the others they had become severely upset and shouted him down. He didn't know how to act or what to do, but he couldn't just let Charlotte die out there in the desert. He had already decided to go out and try and find her, but he needed a little drink first. 

So it was that his eyes caught a slight movement in the darkness and he stopped drinking to watch as a robed figure climbed stealthily onto a horse, his identity briefly a mystery until he turned around and stared back at the camp, obviously looking to see if he was watched. Jonathan frowned when he recognised Aslar's face in the small amount of light from the moon. He had never trusted the man for some reason, and now was no exception. Seeing him start moving slowly away from camp, Jonathan decided to follow. Maybe this had something to do with Charlotte, and he could help her in some way. Whatever, he was desperate for answers, and he knew no-one else would be remotely interested in getting them. It was up to him. 

He found his horse with ease and checked the water skins hanging from the saddle, pleased that he had the foresight to fill them a few hours earlier, now he was already prepared for a journey. He hoisted himself onto the saddle and set off at a slow walk, following the distant dark figure easily and praying he wouldn't be seen if Aslar should happen to look back again. 

Two hours later he looked around him in astonishment. They had been riding away from the Nile and it had just looked like ordinary desert to Jonathan, especially in the dark. But now he had seen several outcrops of rock that reminded him of something, of a previous journey, and he got a faint tingle of fear down his spine as he realised they could very well be heading for Hamunaptra. The moon had risen to its zenith and its light was excellent to travel by, but not so good for hiding. Several times he had pulled back and hidden behind sand dunes or rocks when he had thought Aslar would notice him. He was quite sure the other man would probably gallop back and kill him if he saw him, and so far he had escaped such a fate, so he thought he hadn't been seen. The further they went, the more certain he was of their destination. Aslar had picked up speed after stopping briefly and looking at the sand below him, and Jonathan could see why when he followed his gaze. There were other marks in the sand here and they led off ahead of them, left by other horses. Jonathan felt his heart pick up speed as he realised this could be Charlotte and that other Arab person, and he kicked his horse into a faster walk to match speed with Aslar. He would not let the man out of his sight, not once. Charlotte's life could depend on it. 

******** 

Charlotte woke up when she felt something light brushing her face and she opened her eyes to see Grayson looming over her, a cold smile on his lips. "Ah, about time. Good morning, my dear. I trust you slept well?" 

She started and sat up, looking around her with wide eyes. The last thing she remembered was being tied to a horse and finding out that Grayson was...something else. Then she had passed out. But that had been hours ago and she should have awoken before now. She had been untied and had obviously lain on the sand all night. Her confused eyes went to Grayson's and he smiled again. 

"Confused again, are we? That seems to be your constant state. I put a sleep spell on you, to make sure you were good and rested for the day's events," he murmured, grabbing her wrist and hauling her up to her feet roughly. "Recognise this place?" 

Charlotte looked around her and gasped, remembering the last time she had been here, when those two men had kidnapped her. "This...this...is Hamunaptra." 

"That's right. You remember your companions, Peter Hall and Philip Stewart? They were good friends of mine, although not the most intelligent or the most patient. Had they only waited a little while longer, we would all have had what we needed." 

"You knew them?" she whispered, staring at him in shock. 

"Of course, I was the one who arranged everything. But they couldn't wait, and so they kidnapped you and your brother. Seems they paid dearly for their haste," he said with a malicious smile. "I, on the other hand, know how to bide my time. I have these now," he said, puling his sleeve up and showing her the three silver bracelets, "which means I have the displacement spell I need, and I also have the blood I need. Imhotep will rise and he will join me, and then everything will change." 

"So you're going to murder me?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper. 

"Oh, I don't think you should call it murder. You're going to be used for a higher purpose than mere murder," he said, grabbing her chin and tilting her face up to his. "A shame you have to be untouched, I would sorely love to try you out. Still, needs must when the devil drives, and all that." He took a length of rope and tied her hands with it, looping it around a nearby broken pillar and tying it tightly. "Just so you don't go anywhere." He looked up suddenly and then turned his head to scan the surrounding desert. "Ah, here comes our good friend Aslar. We can begin the ceremony soon." He released her and she leaned against a nearby chunk of fallen masonry, breathing unsteadily and wishing she had died in the desert as Ardeth had decreed. Tears filled her eyes again at the hopelessness of her situation, and she wondered if she would be able to get away this time. She doubted it. There were no Med-jai to save her, not now. They would as soon run her through with a sword than look at her. 

She watched as Aslar joined the professor and the two men started talking in hushed tones, pointing to various different spots in the sand before Aslar took two spades down from his horse and handed one to Grayson. 

"Now you stay right there, my dear," Grayson said, pushing her shoulders so she was sitting down again. "We have a lot of work to do if we're to get back in this tomb before dark." He patted her cheek and walked off, the two men soon disappearing from sight. 

Charlotte thought of the stories Evy had told her about Imhotep and she knew that he could never be raised again, she knew what it could mean if he was. The only good thing was that Grayson had said something about her having to be untouched for the ceremony, and she only hoped that meant what she thought it did, because she was in no way untouched now. After a couple of hours of wallowing in her own misery, she realised that neither the Professor nor Aslar had reappeared even once. The fact that the two men had gone gave her the freedom to test her bonds, and she tugged at them, managing to move one hand enough to pluck at the rope. Failing to get her hands free she tried the end that was tied to the pillar, giving a relieved sigh when she easily untied it and moved slowly away, keeping watch to see where the two men were. For all his talk, the professor hadn't been intelligent enough to tie her hands behind her instead of in front of her, and it had made her escape easy. Now all she had to do was get away from here and try and raise the alarm. Although, with who, was anyone's guess, because the Med-jai would certainly never listen to a word she said. 

**** 

Khalid and Rachid watched the camp diligently that night, and were aware of the movements of every person there, including Jonathan and Aslar. When they went off into the desert on horseback, one man following the other, Rachid rushed to the horses along with Khalid, following them silently from a great distance, something they were incredibly skilled at. They stayed together only long enough to figure out where they were going, then Khalid muttered an oath. "You know where they are headed, my friend," he said to Rachid, frowning. "Follow them, watch their movements closely and I will rejoin you by first light. I must tell Ardeth of this occurrence." 

Rachid nodded and waved his comrade off, continuing to follow the distant figures of Aslar and Jonathan, intent on finding out what it was they thought they were doing. It could not be a coincidence that they were heading for the city of the dead at this time, when betrayal and anger had the whole camp in an uproar. 

_****getting there....slowly......:-)****_


	28. Chapter 28

_****Last one for now!****_****

****

****

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

Jonathan lay down at the top of the distant sand dune, staring down at the two men who were digging at one end of the ruins. He had hoped never to see this particular place again, but it didn't seem quite so threatening at the moment. He had watched Grayson tie Charlotte up, and saw the way she sat, her head drooped downwards with utter despondency. His heart went out to her. It was obvious that some sort of illusion or spell was involved here somewhere, because he had seen Charlotte ride off earlier with his own eyes, and it hadn't been the professor sitting next to her. Which meant, he thought with sudden cheer, that she wasn't guilty of anything she had been accused of. 

Determined to remain as silent as possible, he had to bite back a startled squeak when a strong hand grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, and he closed his eyes tightly believing he had been caught by another accomplice he hadn't known about. When nothing happened he pried one eyelid back and breathed out in a relieved whoosh when he saw Rachid staring at him. "Oh thank Goodness, I thought you were with them!" he said, gesturing down the sand to the professor and Aslar. He went pale again when he realised that Aslar was a Med-jai and so was Rachid. "You...er...aren't with them, are you?" 

"No, I am not. We saw you follow Aslar away from the camp and followed you. When we realised where you were going, Khalid rode back to inform the others. They are already on their way. Do you know what they want here?" 

Jonathan shook his head. "No. All I know is that some sort of magic must have been used somewhere along the line, and poor Charlotte down there is innocent in all of this." 

"You have proof of her innocence?" Rachid asked, arching his eyebrows. 

"Well, no...just instinct. I know her, she wouldn't do what she's been accused of, but no-one seems willing to listen!" 

"Then you have no proof. We all saw her betrayal, it was sufficient," Rachid said, waving his hand dismissively. 

"You don't understand..." Jonathan began, but Rachid raised his hand, stopping him. 

"Enough, I do not wish to discuss this traitor anymore!" 

Jonathan glared at him, but held his tongue, for now. He would get people to see things his way eventually, but he knew there were other more important things to be sorted out right now. "How long will it be until the others join us?" he asked instead, trying not to let his temper get away from him. 

"Within the hour they will be with us, Khalid would make sure they were fast. Whatever it is the professor thinks he will find here is obviously important, therefore we cannot let him leave here alive," Rachid said, shrugging. 

"And what about Aslar?" 

"Aslar should not be helping him, he should not be here at all. His family connections will not save him this time, Ardeth will make sure of that. His life is now forfeit." 

Jonathan shook his head and wondered how the Med-jai remained so implacable in their given duties. If it had been him he would have found it difficult sentencing someone to death, especially if he had grown up with them. Of course, Aslar was faintly creepy, so that would make it somewhat easier. "So what do we do now?" 

"We wait. We cannot go down there alone," Rachid said and lay down on the sand where Jonathan has previously been, starting to watch what was going on below them. 

***** 

It was less than an hour before more dark figures lay near the two men as the other Med-jai joined them, and they watched in fascination as Charlotte untied herself and started moving away from the city. Ardeth arrived and glanced briefly at Jonathan before he settled down next to him, his eyes coldly watching the small figure below them. 

"Where are Rick and Evy?" Jonathan asked after a while, when it became obvious that Ardeth wasn't going to speak. 

"They have been escorted back to the village to collect the children, then they will be returning to England," he said, frowning slightly and then turning to Rachid. "Has there been any clue as to why they are here?" 

"No. They have been digging but have not yet found anything. The girl," Rachid answered him, his eyes holding a trace of worry as he spoke about Charlotte, "has not been helping them in any way, and has been restrained for the most part, although it is not clear why." 

"Because she has nothing to do with all this," Jonathan said, looking angry. 

Ardeth turned steely eyes on the smaller man. "I believe we have already established that she does have something to do with all this. Her own actions at the dig site condemned her." 

"We haven't established anything, or proved anything!" Jonathan protested. "Charlotte is totally innocent of all the rubbish you've accused her of, but you won't see that!" 

"You're loyalty to your cousin is admirable, Jonathan," Ardeth said, pulling himself into a sitting position. "In this case, however, it may be foolish." 

Jonathan leapt to his feet at Ardeth's words. "Foolish? Why? Are you going to condemn me to death, too, just because I don't believe she's guilty?" 

"You do not understand...." Ardeth said, rising also and staring down at him. 

"No, I don't! Tell me something, Ardeth, if she's so guilty of planning an attack on your village with that Abu person, where is he now? How come you sent them both off to die, and yet now it's the professor down there instead?" 

Ardeth frowned briefly, then his face became as implacable as ever. "The professor is as guilty as they are. Abu-Ibrahim's whereabouts will be discovered. This does not change the fact that your cousin betrayed us." 

"And it's never occurred to you, even once, that this Abu-Ibrahim might never have been there at all, that maybe some sort of magic has been used?" Jonathan shook his head. "After all the things you've seen out here, that we've both seen, how can you just take things at face value like that?" 

Ardeth shifted uncomfortably under Jonathan's scrutiny, then his eyes darkened and he glared. "I have had the pleasure of calling you my friend, Jonathan, and I would not like to lose it. But whether you like it or not, your cousin is guilty. And she has escaped her due punishment for her actions," he said, looking down at the sands below them again, watching her stumble along. 

"God, you make me sick!" Jonathan spat, showing more anger and backbone than he had ever displayed as he stood up to the Med-jai chieftain. "You can't even bear to say her name anymore can you? You just want her to be dead and out of the way! Well, don't worry Ardeth, she knows nothing about the desert, so if you just let her continue on her way, she'll die soon enough. But remember one thing, I _do_ know about the desert," he said, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes, "and I will not let her die!" 

"If you attempt to save her, you will be stopped!" Ardeth snapped, surprised and angered by Jonathan's attitude. 

"And you think I'm stupid enough to just go on down there and save her while you're all watching me? No, no, old chap," he said, smiling with a touch of smugness, "I'll wait until you're engaged in battle, then I'll do it. And you won't stop me." 

"You think not?" 

"I know not. I never took you for being brainless, Ardeth, but I'm starting to revise my opinion," Jonathan said, his lips curling with distaste. 

"Enough!" Ardeth snarled as Jonathan continued to disrespect him in front of his men. 

"Yes, quite enough," the thinner man agreed, and with one last glare he turned his back and walked away, moving to the ridge where he could watch Charlotte's progress below him. He didn't care how much trouble he brought down on his own head, he would do whatever he could to help Charlotte, because right now he was all she had. 

****** 

Charlotte stumbled over the sand, her progress slow as she felt various aches and pains, plus lack of water. Grayson certainly hadn't been the model of a gentleman, but then, he wasn't even remotely normal, she reminded herself. Shrugging off the weakness she felt, she continued painstakingly slowly on her way, glancing over her shoulder from time to time. She couldn't see Grayson or Aslar and she breathed a silent sigh of relief, realising if she couldn't see them then the reverse was also true. She took a sharp breath when a wave of dizziness swept over her, culminating in a rush of nausea. Perhaps the lack of water and food? she thought, trying to breathe deeply until the awful feeling passed, because she certainly couldn't move while she felt like that. After a minute she felt a little steadier and straightened up again, glancing once more behind her before she started on her way. 

The desert stretched out endlessly from where she was and she wondered where on earth she was going to go, where she could possibly hide. Apart from the cliffs and the high ridge above them, there was nothing. Her only hope of even a touch of shelter would be to find some sort of cave, but she couldn't make out any dark openings. Maybe she would be able to see some when she got nearer, she thought with a faint spark of hope. 

She managed to take a few more steps before nausea clogged her throat again and she collapsed down onto her knees, a small noise of distress leaving her dry lips as a fierce pain shot through her head. Her hands went up to clasp her skull, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as the pain intensified. She couldn't even begin to think of what might be wrong with her, the pain was too great and another soft sound made itself heard. 

"Tsk, tsk," Grayson said as he walked up behind her silently, the noises she had made having alerted him to her flight. "I just knew you'd try something like this, that's why I made sure you couldn't leave." He reached down and pulled her to her feet, nodding with a faintly evil smile as her eyes cleared and the pain eased abruptly, leaving her feeling weaker than ever. "Did that hurt, my dear?" 

Charlotte frowned. "Wha...what happened?" 

"A small binding spell, nothing to worry about. But you mustn't try and wander too far from me, or this will happen again." He took her arm and dragged her effortlessly back over to the pillar she had previously been tied to. "I don't think I really need to tie you up again do I? Didn't you wonder why I didn't do a proper job of it before? It's because I knew I didn't have to. You'll stay put this time, I'm sure," he murmured, stroking her hair and then laughing as she flinched away from him. Without another word he turned and walked away, leaving her alone with her misery. 

Tears burst from her eyes and ran down her pale face and she raised her eyes to the sky as if to ask for divine intervention, wondering what she had ever done that was bad enough to deserve this fate. As she did so, she caught sight of the dark figures on the ridge above them, and she froze. The Med-jai were watching them, that meant Ardeth was up there too, and she knew that come nightfall, they would come down and kill them all. That thought made her go strangely numb and she lowered her head, wishing with all her heart that things could have been different. But there was nothing she could do to change future events, she knew that without even thinking about it. They wouldn't listen to her, no matter what she had to say, and she vaguely wondered whether they would shoot her or take her head off as they had one of the English men who had earlier abducted her. Either way, the outcome was the same, and she slid down the pillar to rest on the sand, her tears drying up as quickly as they had come. Her despair and heartache went too deep for tears this time. 

_*****Okie dokie, that's all for now folks! I will try my level best to continue as soon as possible, but I'm not going to force it. Patience!!! LOL*****_


	29. Chapter 29

_****Sorry it's taken forever, but I had some major problems with my computer, caused by....lightning! I had typed three chapters and we got hit by lightning and I lost the lot. So I retyped it from memory...dammit....and we got hit again! Luckily my computer had timesaved it...but I wanted to smash it to pieces! Anyway, onwards.....!****_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

Charlotte had no idea how much time had passed, but sometime later Grayson came walking over to her, looking tired and grimy, but pleased. "Ah, you're still here I see, I thought you might be," he said, a trace of amusement evident in his tone. "Well, you'll be pleased to hear that we've found the entrance to the tombs below, so now your little adventure can truly begin." He gave her a cold smile and grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet and dragging her along next to him as he strode over to where Aslar was standing half in and half out of a hole in the sand. As they got nearer she could see that the hole actually led down into a rough rectangular opening, steps visible just beyond it. An eerie darkness seemed to creep out of the place below and she felt her stomach clench with fear, her throat closing as she fought against the professor's hold for perhaps the first time. No matter what mortal terrors she had been expecting, immortal ones held far more horrors, and she had heard much about what could happen from Evy. Somewhere in the back of her mind she hadn't expected the two men to actually find anything, but now they had terrifying visions of things she had been told began to fill her head. 

Grayson shook her roughly and narrowed his eyes. "Stop struggling, Miss Carnahan, or would you like me to give you to Aslar to deal with you? I'm sure he could keep you still." 

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte forced herself to try and calm down, but she couldn't stop herself from shaking, tremors running through her body almost violently. 

Aslar laughed. "I had thought her unmoved by her impending doom, but it seems I was wrong," he said as he reached out one hand and touched her arm, relishing the feel of her trembling. "Come, let us find the altar and we can take the first step on the path to our destiny!" 

Grayson chuckled at this and pushed Charlotte ahead of him, his hands still firmly gripping her arms so she couldn't even try and escape. She wondered hysterically if there was any point in even trying anyway. Whatever they planned on doing wouldn't work because she wasn't a virgin, and if she did get away then the Med-jai would see to it she died. Her shoulders slumped as saw the hopelessness of the situation, and she followed meekly behind Aslar as he led his way further and further into the oppressive atmosphere of the tomb. 

She shivered as they went on, only a single torch to light their way, and strange scuttling noises could be heard echoing around the empty chambers they passed through. Some of the ceilings were so low that they had to bend to walk underneath them, and she realised that most of the rooms had collapsed under a great pressure. It must be what Evy had spoken about before, about when an ancient mechanism had caused the city to fall back into the sands. It was surprising, therefore, that any part of it could be walked through, but most of the corridors seemed to be intact and they were heading ever downwards, less damage apparent as they progressed. 

Soon the torch lit up a small area of what felt like a huge chamber and Charlotte felt herself tugged down a vast set of stone steps, leading down to something as yet unseen. She shivered at the chill in this room, trying to close her mind to the eerie sounds drifting through the chamber. As soon as they reached the bottom and she felt sand underneath her feet they stopped, and Aslar went to the walls to light torches, finally illuminating the enormous cavern to their eyes. 

It had a large stone table in the middle, it's edges rough and crudely designed, at odds with most of the Egyptian artefacts and buildings she had seen before. There were also what looked like blood stains on the rough surface, although dark and old, and she realised that this then was the sacrificial altar. But the chamber itself didn't look like any sort of worshipping place. There was a small pool of some hideous tar like substance, a pedestal with hieroglyphs set upon a low dais that seemed to serve no purpose and several doors opening off into who knew where. After whatever destruction had happened here, they were incapable of being opened, the lintels crushed down and the doors stuck fast. So it seemed to her that this room would probably be the last one she would ever see, and she almost laughed with rising hysteria. 

"Do you like it here, my dear?" Grayson asked her, stroking a hand slowly over her face and making her cringe. "Such a lovely atmosphere....I confess I'm quite at home. Come, we have much to do," he said, taking her arm roughly and dragging her over to the stone table. 

Charlotte stared at it for a second and her shoulders slumped again. There was really no point in fighting this, there was no-one out there who would save her, and she had nowhere to go in this country for sanctuary. She let the professor push her into the table and she lay down on her back, her arms and legs limp as he secured them in chains so she couldn't get away. 

His face came back into view and he smiled at her. "You just relax there, Charlotte, and we'll start all the preparations. Shouldn't be too long now." He walked away and Charlotte closed her eyes, letting her sorrow wash over her in a wave and relaxing into it, comfortable now in this one emotion. It was better than dwelling on the fear and anticipation of what was going to happen to her. The one good thing was that Imhotep could not be brought back, at least not with her blood. It was some comfort to know she wouldn't be bringing that plague upon the earth. 

********* 

Jonathan watched with deep worry when Charlotte tried to run off and fell down as if in pain. He couldn't understand it, and his worry only intensified as the Professor moved towards her small figure and dragged her back again. He couldn't make a move yet, not until he wasn't being watched himself, and it was sheer agony to see someone he cared about being treated badly. As for Ardeth, he had had enough of him to last a lifetime. His opinion of the man had changed drastically over the last couple of days, and he felt disappointed. With his own sister he wasn't sure what to think. Evy and Rick had good reason not to be here, the children were their first priority, but he would like to know what both of them really thought of this situation. He had heard the way Rick had been talking, and he wondered at how everyone was so angry so quickly. It was puzzling, but nothing he thought he couldn't sort out, given time. And time was in short supply for Charlotte right now. 

A while later his head came up again when he saw more movement and he followed Grayson's progress as he came and got Charlotte again, taking her towards the hole in the ground they had dug. Aslar touched her and Jonathan felt rage building up inside him. He wanted to kill the man, and he hoped he had a chance to do so before this was all over, no matter what happened to him for doing it. He almost cheered when he saw Charlotte struggle against them, hoping she would be able to escape and maybe punch one of them in the face before she went. But it was over almost as soon as it had begun, and she meekly let them bundle her down into the sands, disappearing from sight instantly. A chill raced through his body as he saw her go, well aware of what she was heading into and wondering how she would survive any of the perils within that dead place. 

Finally, after hours of silently keeping watch, the Med-jai stirred and started to gather themselves to approach the tomb. Jonathan knew the drill by now and he watched Ardeth jump onto his horse ahead of them and turn it to make his way down to the City. His dark eyes fixed on Jonathan briefly and he seemed to be waging an internal battle over something. He moved towards him and stared down at him where he was sitting in the sand. "Jonathan, you will stay here?" he asked, his face impassive. 

"Yes," Jonathan said, not feeling like he was lying. Okay, he was planning on going down there as soon as this lot were out of sight, but right now he was staying put. So, no lie there. 

Ardeth nodded. "Good. We shall return quickly," he said confidently, and why shouldn't he be, Jonathan thought. There were only two men and an innocent young girl to fight, shouldn't take them more than five minutes to hunt them down and behead them. He looked angrily away from Ardeth, hearing him move away again. Then he waited. 

Minutes passed and finally they came back into view below him, the men and horses moving in an almost silent procession towards the place where the three had entered the City. Neither Aslar nor the Professor would have heard them coming, they were that quiet, and Aslar would not be expecting them either. Ardeth was right that it wouldn't take them long. 

Jonathan stood up and checked his gun, nodding with satisfaction when he saw it was fully loaded. He had a knife in his belt, should he need it, and a second pistol tucked into his boot, also fully loaded. He didn't want to fight the Med-jai, not if he could help it, but he wouldn't let them kill his cousin. With a heavy sigh he started picking his way down the cliff edge towards the deadly City, wondering if he would come out of this one alive. 


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

Jonathan crouched down by the hole and looked down into it, wishing he had had the foresight to get a torch from somewhere. Still, the faint light from the Med-jai's own torches still cast a slight glow and he was pretty sure his nightmares had implanted plans of this place in his brain somewhere. As if he could ever forget. Gathering all his courage - courage he never knew he possessed - he went swiftly into the opening, following the distant sound of voices and using his memories of these corridors to guide him. Before long he was at the entrance to the large chamber where they had defeated Imhotep the first time, and he shuddered as even more memories assailed him, none of them good. A few steps took him to the top of the steps and he looked down at the scene below him, closing his eyes when he saw Charlotte laying on the stone table where Evy had once been chained. Only Charlotte wasn't fighting as Evy had been, she wasn't even attempting to get out of her bonds. Her eyes stared vacantly to one side, not even taking any notice of the fight going on around her. 

Jonathan had thought that the Med-jai would find this easy, but apparently they had misjudged Grayson Johns. The man had power, that was obvious and he was using it to keep the warriors at bay. Among the black clad figures he could make out mummies battling, a sight he had grown accustomed to it seemed, because he didn't find it surprising. The Professor must have made them rise to help protect him. Aslar wasn't quite so lucky, and he was nursing a wound in his side, battling against impossible odds because it was Ardeth swinging his sword at him. 

The blade sliced through the air with unerring accuracy and sliced the other man across the chest, and Jonathan frowned as he watched. Ardeth appeared to be toying with him, not ending it quickly as he would have done before. He spun around to avoid a blow from the smaller man's sword, his hair playing out behind him as he did and his robes swishing around him. It was poetry in motion, for sure, and Jonathan wished he had such skills. Well, he did, in a way, only it was with a gun not a sword. Despite his anger for Ardeth, he found himself rooting for him, holding his breath when Aslar got too close. A couple of times he had been lucky and he had managed to hit his leader, drawing blood but not one sound from his tight lips. 

He had the upper hand in this battle, and he had had it from the very start. As good as Aslar was, he was no match for this proud warrior, and he was suffering because of it. Ardeth deflected his blows with ease, his eyes almost amused as he parried the attacks as if they were from a child. After a while he seemed to become bored with the game and he swung with more strength, forcing Aslar backwards again and again with the powerful blows. For his part, Aslar was trying desperately to keep his footing under the onslaught, unable to believe how hard it was. He lifted his sword to protect himself as Ardeth brought his sword down, only to find he had been deceived and Ardeth spun the blade quickly so it arced upwards instead of down, slicing his chest once more. He cried out at the burning pain and felt himself weakening again, blood starting to flow from his body with more speed. 

Ardeth narrowed his eyes and struck again, using all his skill and all his considerable strength to chop at Aslar's side, a feral smile tilting his lips as the other man's arm was severed and fell to the floor. Aslar screamed and fell to his knees, his fight now over, and his life about to follow it. He had time to glance up at the man he hated more than any other, and saw the blade rush towards his neck, slicing cleanly through it. Had he been able to think at that point he would have wondered that it didn't hurt. 

Ardeth kicked the body over and watched dispassionately as it fell at his feet, head, body and arm separate. The sight didn't sicken him as it would some Westerners, he had seen far worse in his life. A sound behind him alerted him to more danger and he spun around in time to find a decaying soldier about to attack, making him forget everything else as he defended himself. 

On the steps, Jonathan was having a hard time controlling his roiling stomach, the sight of what Ardeth had done making his face turn an interesting shade of green. He knew that the Med-jai were going to be busy for some time, and his chance to help Charlotte was now, so he ran down the steps and swerved around a small battle, making his way quickly over to the altar. 

"Charlie?" he said quietly, bending to whisper in her ear and looking into her blank eyes with concern. When she didn't answer he shook his head sadly and starting trying to get the chains off her wrists. Luckily there was no lock as such, just a small metal peg driven through the things and he found them fairly easy to undo. He undid her ankles too and then pulled her up into a sitting position, looking her over to make sure she hadn't been hurt too badly. Apart from bruises on her face, she appeared unharmed and he looked around him to make sure the coast was clear to get them both out of there. A frown creased his brow when he saw how thick the fighting had become and that they were now surrounded. Of course, the Med-jai were busy so they probably wouldn't stop them. But what if they tried? He firmed his jaw. So what if they did? He had a gun, and Charlotte was too important to just leave here. He picked her up and cradled her against him, still concerned with how pale and listless she was. 

Khalid finished disposing of his undead attacker and turned to see where else he could help, and he saw Jonathan carrying Charlotte towards the steps, his eyes narrowing with uncharacteristic doubt. He knew something had been wrong about all this, but he also knew what his eyes had told him. Somehow, the thought of that young girl being an enemy didn't sit well. But he had his duty to his leader, his duty to his tribe, and he couldn't let her go. With a deep sigh he started following them, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword as he realised what he might have to do. 

Jonathan stopped suddenly when he felt the sharp tip of a sword press into the back of his neck and he stiffened his spine as Khalid spoke. "You must stop, Mr Carnahan." 

"And if I don't?" Jonathan asked, hoping he could persuade Khalid to just let them go. 

"Then I will be forced to stop you, and that is something I do not wish to do," Khalid said, holding the sword steady. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Ardeth striding towards him, his eyes sparkling with anger. 

"What are you doing in here?" he asked Jonathan when he got close enough, moving around in front of him and looking down at Charlotte. 

"I'm doing exactly what I told you I would. I'm saving her life," Jonathan said proudly, lifting his chin up and glaring at the bigger man. 

"You are mistaken," Ardeth said, nodding to Khalid to take Charlotte. He lifted his sword and held it across Jonathan's throat when he resisted. "Do not think that I will let you live just because of past history, because you are mistaken if that is your belief. Let Khalid take the girl, and you may go." 

"I'm not bloody well going anywhere!" Jonathan protested, shouting angrily when Khalid finally got Charlotte away from him. "Don't you dare hurt her!" 

"She has already been judged, this you know," Ardeth said quietly. "Her life is no longer her own, nor is it yours. Leave now if you do not wish to see her demise."  
"Ardeth you can't do this," Jonathan said unsteadily, his heart starting to thump when he realised they were going to kill her right here, right now. 

"I can do whatever I wish," the other man said wearily. He looked at Jonathan with his expression unveiled, and Jonathan winced at the raw pain that shone through. "Do you not think that I wish it had been otherwise? I would not want this task." 

"Then don't do it. Ardeth, please, let me take her back to England...you'll never have to see her again ever, it would be as if she were dead," Jonathan started pleading, his despair becoming deeper as the shutters went back up in Ardeth's eyes and he looked cold again. 

"You ask the impossible. I am sorry, my friend, I cannot grant your wish." Ardeth bowed his head and walked swiftly away, the pain of what he had to do almost more than he could bear. Khalid watched him go and sighed again. He hated to see his friend in pain, and yet he knew of no way to ease it, no way out of this situation. 

The fighting continued for a short while longer, the warriors finally gaining on the undead until the last of them was returned to the sands and they all stood facing Grayson Johns. For the first time Jonathan noticed the change in the man. His eyes were glowing eerily in the shadowed cavern and he had an aura around him that deflected any attempts to attack him. It appeared that he could use magic on the warriors, but couldn't actually physically hurt them with it. Every attempt he made to slash at one of the men with the sword he was holding required him to drop his protective field briefly, and it left him vulnerable. Rachid was almost as good a swordsman as Ardeth was, and he had managed to land one blow before the field went back up, injuring the professor in the ribcage. He circled him, waiting for another opportunity and smiled as Ardeth joined him, other Med-jai moving in as well as if given a signal. Grayson was sweating with effort and also with blood loss, his movement becoming less defined. His mind made him take more and more foolish risks and he slashed out at Ardeth, his breath gushing out of him as Rachid's sword embedded itself in his stomach. Uttering another temporary spell, he stopped himself from bleeding to death and walked backwards away from the attacking warriors, needing to get out of here so he could heal himself. He summoned some strength and made a dash for the stairs, straight past a stunned Jonathan and Khalid, Ardeth and Rachid following him. 

Everything would have been fine, they would have caught up with him, but Ardeth turned his head helplessly to look at Charlotte, faltering slightly. It was all the professor needed and he slashed backwards with his sword, delivering an inexpert blow that nevertheless caught the bigger man between the ribs and made him collapse bonelessly to the ground. An evil laugh resounded in the chamber and the professor continued his flight, disappearing up the stairs with more speed than should have been possible considering his injury. 

Jonathan automatically dropped to his knees and checked Ardeth over, his eyes widening with horror when he saw the deep gash in his chest, blood pumping copiously from it. Ardeth's face had gone a pasty shade of grey under his natural tan, and his breath was whistling harshly between his teeth. "Oh God, what do we do?" Jonathan asked, panicking at the sight of so much blood. Khalid put Charlotte down on the ground and pushed Jonathan gently out of the way, immediately setting to work pressing on the wound and ordering Rachid to tear his robes into strips. They worked efficiently over the prone body, wrapping his robes tightly until his breathing sounded better, then they lifted him off the floor. By this time Ardeth was unconscious. 

"We must take him to Cairo, they will know how to treat him there," Khalid said, looking at Jonathan and then down at Charlotte. "Your cousin....I am in charge whilst Ardeth is incapacitated, and so my orders will be followed, not his. I have a bad feeling about all of this, and I cannot so easily condemn her to death. Take her back to England, and make sure she stays there." 

"Thank you!" Jonathan said, patting Khalid on the shoulder with deep gratitude. "If there's anything I can do to help Ardeth, or you, you only have to ask." 

"I know," Khalid said. "I cannot promise that Ardeth will not want retribution when he recovers...I think it best if you leave immediately." 

"Don't worry," Jonathan said, scooping Charlotte up. "I'm not staying here a second longer than necessary. Please let me know how Ardeth is." 

"I will." Khalid gave a last nod and called for the men to follow him, leading the way from the tomb with the men carrying Ardeth carefully up the stairs and out of sight. 

Jonathan looked down at Charlotte. "It's alright, old girl, everything will be fine from now on. You'll see." 


	31. Chapter 31

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

Grayson Johns stumbled across the desert clutching his stomach. He could feel the blood running down his body now that his spells were wearing off, and the incredible agony of stomach acid eating away his internal organs was nearly sending him insane. After all his hopes, this was how he was to die, he thought, his eyes starting to lose their ability to see where the sun was blinding him. He didn't know how far he had come, although a day and a night had passed and he could no longer see Hamunaptra, so he knew it must be a great distance. He also knew that his body was giving out. He fell to his knees and clutched at his abdomen, swallowing and making his dry tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. Death couldn't come to him like this, he thought, not like this, not when he was so powerful...not when his destiny had been so close.… 

He slumped down onto his front and lay there in the sand, his last dying breaths puffing the small granules up in front of him, the tiny clouds of sand getting smaller and smaller as his life left him. Finally his heart stopped, and then the sand was left to deal with his remains. 

And as his death took him, so his spells were dispersed and were no more, and all those he had previously misled with illusion suddenly knew what had really happened, and were left with their own guilt and anguish over how they had treated someone so undeserving of such treatment. 

Two weeks later. 

Jonathan paced around the enormous sitting room, wishing he had a good bottle of whisky to keep him company. He had brought Charlotte back from Egypt over a week ago now and she was still in the same almost comatose state as she had been in. The only sign of life she had shown was when he had taken her to Cairo, and only then because she had apparently been in pain. She hadn't spoken, but the further they went away from Hamunaptra so the worse her symptoms became. Jonathan had no way of knowing about the binding spell, and he couldn't help her, could do nothing but take her to Cairo and book passage back to England that day. 

On the boat she had been little better, until a day into the trip when she had suddenly just lapsed into unconsciousness and hadn't woken up until she had been back in her home. Now the doctor was here checking her over, and Jonathan worried that perhaps he had called him too late. But he had been hoping that Charlotte would snap out of it on her own, and she hadn't. She lay in her bed, unmoving and unspeaking, not eating. Her housekeeper had managed to get her to drink a small amount of water, but that was all, and she didn't seem to be able to hear any of them. 

He hadn't even been back home yet, so he didn't know if Evy and Rick had returned. If they had, then they would have Billy with them, but they hadn't brought him back to his own home. It didn't matter much at the moment. Charlotte probably wouldn't recognise him anyway. 

He looked up as the door opened and went forwards when the doctor entered the room, shaking his hand and waiting. 

"Where to start?" the elderly man said, shaking his head. "She appears to be in shock and she is malnourished and dehydrated. Now, all of these can be treated, although the mind is a delicate matter at best. I have several colleagues in the field of Psychology and I can contact one of them for you. They'll be able to help her without a doubt. As for the rest," the doctor said, raising his eyebrows, "she must be fed. And it really doesn't matter at the moment how that happens, even if you have to force her. If she doesn't eat, she'll die. The same goes for drinking, as I'm sure you know." 

"I know," Jonathan said. "I just don't want to hurt her." 

"There are methods I can show you that will help. But there is something else," the doctor said, sounding almost reluctant. 

"Something else? What?" 

"The young lady is with child. Some of the symptoms the maid told me about would have alerted me to the fact, but an examination has made me more certain." 

"She's...she's pregnant?" Jonathan asked in shock, knowing who was responsible for that. 

"I'm afraid so, and her condition will further deplete her health, although she's not far along at all. As for her mental health, I will send Dr Mays to you tomorrow, she is a psychologist and she will be able to help you." 

"Thank you so much," Jonathan said absently, shaking the man's hand again and then leaving him for the maid to show out. 

Charlotte was pregnant. He couldn't quite believe it, but he would damn well make sure he was there for her all along the way. He wouldn't leave her to face this alone. 

******* 

Evy sat staring out of the window while Libby and Billy played with some toys on the carpet. Her eyes filled with tears as they had so many times over the last week when she thought of what had happened. Today she and Rick would be going to Charlotte's house in person, because the housekeeper had relentlessly put the phone down on them each and every time she called. She had to tell Charlotte what had happened, why they had all believed what they had. She hadn't known that Grayson Johns had magic powers, and he had used illusion as a weapon to make them believe they had seen Charlotte betraying them all. She now believed that he had also made them angrier than they should have been, because it wasn't like her to just believe something like that so easily. She looked up as Rick entered the room and he gave her a small smile, having been fighting his own guilt over this matter. 

Evy held her hand out to him and he took it instantly, pulling her to her feet and dropping a light kiss on her head. "What do you think will happen today?" he asked, his voice low and soft. 

Evy shook her head. "I don't know, but I hope it will all turn out alright. Poor Charlie, to go through all that and then have no-one..." she broke off and pressed her face into his shirt, trying to stop herself from getting too emotional. She calmed down while he stroked her back. "And then there's Ardeth...what if he doesn't pull through?" 

Rick sighed deeply, his eyes clouded. "He has to pull through, he can't die. Someone like him doesn't just die." 

"But darling, that's exactly what happens to people like him. They get hurt once too often, and then that's it." 

"I know," Rick said, shrugging and looking grim. "But we can't think like that. Well, are you ready?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be," Evy murmured, bending to kiss the two children before leaving them in the capable hands of the nanny they had hired for a few hours. 

The whole drive to Charlotte's house was carried out in silence, neither of them feeling much like making small talk when they were both dreading what they might find. They didn't know how she was, and as far as they were aware she could have come back and killed herself. Evy knew she would have felt like that, had it been her. 

Too soon, it seemed, they were driving up the driveway and then pulling up in front of the impressive house. Evy looked out of the window nervously, putting off getting out of the car, but Rick had other ideas and he quickly opened his door and walked around to her side to get her out. He gave her a reassuring smile and then guided her towards the front door. 

Jonathan stroked Charlotte's hair back from her face and tried to see any hint of recognition in her eyes, but there was nothing. She stared unseeingly at the ceiling, and nothing he did or said made any difference. He heard someone knocking on the door and sighed, thinking he may as well go and see who it was, just to break the monotony of his day so far. But as he descended the stairs, the last people he had expected to see were his sister and Rick, standing outside the front door trying to persuade the housekeeper to let them in. 

"It's alright, Aggie, let them come in," Jonathan said to the old woman as he reached the hall, his eyes hardening as they rested on his brother-in-law. The old woman grumbled but did as he asked, and then she ambled away. 

Jonathan stood and stared at the couple, his hands in his pockets. "What do you want?" 

Evy winced. "We want to see Charlotte, to make sure she's alright." 

"Alright? No, Evelyn, she's far from alright. She's trapped inside her own head somewhere and she can't or won't come out. She won't eat, she won't drink, and the doctor said she'll die if we don't force her to do so." Jonathan was getting angrier as he spoke, and not particularly at the two people staring at him speechlessly. He was frustrated that he couldn't help his cousin. "So, no, I would say she isn't alright." 

Evy laid a hand on his arm. "How long has she been like that?" 

"Since I got her out of Hamunaptra...before that I think. She doesn't even see me, Evy," Jonathan said, his sadness at Charlotte's predicament obvious. "I just wish I could help her." 

"It seems you have been helping her. If it wasn't for you..." Evy broke off and closed her eyes as she thought about it all, and Rick put his arm around her. 

"We know you got her out of Egypt, and we know Khalid let you take her. It appears that the Professor used some sort of magic and managed to make us see something that wasn't really happening. He did the same to Charlotte. The Med-jai think that he must have perished in the desert, and when he did everything suddenly came rushing in on us...the truth," Rick said, shrugging. "Charlotte didn't kiss those two men we thought we saw, she thought she was kissing Ardeth. She didn't do a damn thing wrong, and we all treated her like a criminal." 

Jonathan looked at him in surprise. "So everyone now knows she was innocent all along?" 

Rick nodded. "Yeah. The Med-jai say she is welcome back at any time and they want to apologise to her for what they tried to do. But not as much as I want to apologise. I still find it difficult to believe how angry I was." 

"It was what the professor did," Evy said, shaking her head sadly. "Somehow he managed to make us all acutely emotional over it, tweaked our anger or something." She raised her eyes to her brother and saw he was softening. "Can't we see her? We've tried phoning for a week and that woman wouldn't even listen." 

"You've phoned? She didn't tell me that, I had no idea you were even back," Jonathan said. 

"We've been back a week, and we have Billy with us," Rick supplied helpfully. 

"I see. Well, I guess it can't hurt to let you see her, she certainly can't get any worse at this point," Jonathan said, ushering them up the stairs and along the corridor to Charlotte's room. 

Evy had thought herself prepared for anything, but the sight of her cousin's deteriorated condition made her start crying. "Oh my God," she said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking her hair much as Jonathan had done earlier. "Charlie, can you hear me?" 

Rick stood grim faced as he watched his wife trying to talk to the young girl who looked more like a corpse right now. He had seen people die, and he didn't think she had much longer to go. 

"Oh God, isn't there anything we can do?" Evy asked, wiping her eyes as she stood up, giving up trying to make Charlotte hear her. 

"You know, it might help if we brought Billy here," Rick said suddenly, his eyes lighting up at the idea. "He's the only she's been really close to...well, him and Ardeth." 

As he said Ardeth's name, Charlotte twitched slightly, but only Jonathan noticed. He walked around the bed and said the name again, seeing the same reaction. Evy watched him and then her eyes shot to her cousin, widening at her response. "If only he was here, maybe that could help her." 

"But he's too ill himself to be moved," Rick said. 

"I haven't heard any news about him," Jonathan said, looking at the bigger man. "Is he doing alright?" 

"From what we hear, about as alright as Charlotte. Khalid said he will get better but...I just don't know," Rick said with a shrug. Then he sighed. "Christ, what the hell did we all do to make this happen?" 

"It wasn't any of us though, was it? It was Grayson Johns, and he's dead now," Evy said, chewing her lip. 

"Just as well, because if I got my hands on his scrawny neck," Rick said, his eyes flashing angrily. 

"You and me both," Jonathan added. "Listen, go and get Billy, see if it helps. You never know."  



	32. Chapter 32 finis

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

Evy and Rick drove back to their house and collected both children, taking them back to Charlotte's as quick as they dared, hope shining from them as they went. 

They tried to think of how best to take Billy to Charlotte, whether or not to tell the little boy to be quiet and patient, but he took the decision out of their hands. As soon as he got inside the front door, he shouted her name and charged up the stairs, happy to be home and eager to see his big sister. Jonathan and the others gave chase, but he was in her bedroom before they could stop him, so all they could do was follow and watch what happened - if anything. 

Billy rushed over to the bed, calling Charlotte's name as he went. When he got closer he frowned, confusion wrinkling up his small features as he looked at the sister he loved so much. "Charlotte?" he said, reaching out with one little chubby hand and patting her face gently. He raised huge eyes to look at Evy. "What's s'matter with Charlotte?" he asked, and his face crumpled as he started crying. Evy instantly rushed over to him and cuddled him, looking at Charlotte and noticing she was still looking vacant. 

"She's not well at the moment, sweetie. We hoped that maybe she'd start getting better once she saw you, once she heard your voice," Evy told him, stroking his short hair as he cried. 

"I'll speak to her," he suddenly declared, sniffing and wiping away one tear as he climbed back on the bed and patted Charlotte's face again. He started talking. Telling her about all the things he had been playing with at Evy's house, and about the wooden sword the Med-jai had let him bring home. He proudly told her how he was a good woryer and that one day he'd grow up and take his place in the tribe. His small, high pitched voice went on and on, while the adults sat in the few seats in the bedroom and started to talk quietly amongst themselves, any hope they had harboured starting to vanish. Until Charlotte made a small noise, and then Jonathan jumped up and went to look at her. 

Billy had plastered himself against her side and was cuddling her with a surprisingly strong arm, and the contact, along with his incessant chatter, had finally broken through whatever wall she had built around herself. Tears were in her eyes - eyes that now held pain and fear and grief, all bad emotions, but emotions nonetheless. Jonathan reached down and gently stroked her cheek, smiling as she looked at him for the first time. "Everything is fine, Charlie, everything is back to normal now. It's all better." 

She lifted a thin arm and cuddled her brother, a spark of happiness entering her eyes as she held Billy. She didn't speak, but Jonathan was happy with what they already had, and he squeezed her fingers as Evy came into view. 

"Charlie? We're so sorry for what happened...it was some sort of spell. Not that I'm trying to excuse it...we should have known better. I'm so sorry," she said miserably. 

"It's..." Charlotte began, licking her dry lips as she tried again, her voice rusty. "It's alright." 

"No, it isn't," Rick said as he looked down at her. "But it will be, we'll make sure of it." 

Charlotte's eyelids drooped suddenly and Evy lifted Billy away from her. "We'll take care of him for now. You rest and we'll be here if you need us," she said, touching the backs of her knuckles to the younger girl's face, regret evident in her eyes. 

Jonathan watched as Charlotte fell asleep, the first time she had truly just gone to sleep since she had come back, and he closed his eyes on a thankful prayer before he left the room. 

Rick and Evy were waiting for him in the hall. "We'll stay here tonight, if it's okay?" Rick asked, cuddling Libby while Evy held Billy. 

"I'll get someone to make up a room for you and the children," Jonathan said, smiling. "She's going to be fine now isn't she?" 

"I hope so," Evy said, relieved that Charlotte had woken up but knowing that there was a long road ahead. 

"There is just one other thing," Jonathan said reluctantly, knowing he was going to have to tell them, but not really wanting to. "It seems she's pregnant." 

"Pregnant?!" Rick and Evy burst out together. 

"Shh!" Jonathan hissed, frowning at them. "She doesn't know it herself yet, not unless she could hear the doctor and I very much doubt that. I just thought you should know, and maybe it would be best if you told her, Evy." 

"You're right. But what about Ardeth? He's obviously the father," Evy said, frowning herself now. 

"What about him?" Jonathan asked, his eyes hard again as he remembered how implacable the man had been. "If Charlotte wants to tell him then we send word, if not...." he trailed off and simply shrugged. "It's her choice, not ours." 

They all agreed with him, even if Rick didn't like it, and they went to find out what rooms they would be put in. 

*********** 

Ardeth lay in the big bed that Evy and Rick had bought him and sighed, wincing as his injury made itself felt with the slight movement. He knew he was getting better, but the progress was so slow that he wouldn't be leaving his bed for some weeks, maybe even months. He gave another sigh before he thought about the pain it would cause, and then closed his eyes. The pain from his wound was second only to the pain in his heart, he thought. All he could see when he closed his eyes was her face as it had been when he last saw her, and it tore at his guts that he had caused her such anguish. If only he had been healthy he would already be in England searching her out, but as it was he couldn't leave. Besides that, his men wouldn't let him even if he wanted to. Khalid had taken to leadership well, and he controlled the men very easily. He would be a good replacement should the need arise. In truth Ardeth was as tired of his duties as of everything else at the moment, and would gladly give it all up just to see Charlotte again. He let himself drift into a restless sleep, his only escape from pain. 

*********** 

Several Months Later: 

Charlotte sat in the window seat of Rick and Evy's sitting room, alternately looking out of the window and then back at her brother playing on the floor with the brand new train set she had bought him, Alex sitting there helping him. Evy and Rick were talking quietly to one another and Jonathan was relaxing in an armchair with a large whisky in one hand. It was Christmas Day and her life had turned on its head over the last few months. At least she could smile now, and she was back to normal after everything that had happened to her. There was still a deep sadness inside her that would occasionally show itself, but on the whole she was content. She smiled as Libby toddled over to her and tugged on her skirt, showing her a large chunk of chocolate she had been eating and that was currently plastered to her entire hand. 

"You've made a bit of a mess there haven't you?" she asked the little girl, smiling softly at the beaming smile she received from the child. "Let's get you cleaned up shall we?" 

She went to get up and Evy walked over. "No, I'll do it. You need to rest, you've already done too much today." She picked Libby up and carried her out of the room, expertly avoiding the chocolate coated fingers as she went. 

Charlotte stood up and walked over to the bowl of punch sitting on the table, helping herself to a scoop and sipping the fruity mixture. Evy had made it with no alcohol, and so she could drink as much as she liked. Jonathan joined her. "Feeling alright?" he asked, smiling warmly at her and taking a large gulp of his drink. 

"I'm feeling fine...a bit tired today, but otherwise okay," she said, resting a hand on her swollen stomach as she spoke. The baby inside her kicked as if it felt her touch, and she smiled with fascination. It still intrigued her, the feeling she got whenever her child kicked, and it was something she didn't think she could ever describe to anyone. Evy, of course, knew exactly what it felt like, and she had been a good person to have around through all the different stages of pregnancy. 

"Not long now," Jonathan said, as he watched her stroke her stomach. 

"No, not long. It's a bit scary thinking about it, but I can't wait to see him...or her," Charlotte said with a grin. 

"It's a him," Evy said knowledgeably as she returned to the room with a clean Libby. "You're carrying exactly the same as I did when I had Alex, all out front and huge. With Libby it was different, I sort of went huge all over. Oh yes, definitely a boy." 

Charlotte laughed at her certainty. "You're probably right." 

"So," Evy said as both she and Charlotte sat down and relaxed, "thought of any names yet?" 

The younger girl shook her head. "No, not really. I can't think of anything at all. It would help if...well, if Ardeth was here." 

"He would be if you'd told him you were pregnant," Evy pointed out. 

"I know, but I didn't want that to be the only reason he came here. And we both know he wouldn't come here just for me, or he'd already have done so." 

"Charlie, we don't know that. He was badly wounded, and he still hasn't recovered fully." 

"I know, Khalid wrote to Jonathan a few months ago. But he said he was much better, and he is capable of writing...he could have sent a letter." 

"Maybe he's feeling guilty, I know we all are," Rick said, joining in the conversation. 

"But, you explained it all to me, it wasn't your fault..." Charlotte said, frowning. 

"Doesn't make us feel any less guilty, we can still remember how we acted, how we treated you," Rick said, shrugging. "And Ardeth hasn't had the luxury of actually talking to you, of making sure everything is alright. I'm sure if you wrote to him, he'd come running as soon as he was fit enough." 

Charlotte stared at him, longing clear in her eyes. "Do you really think so?" 

Rick nodded. "I'm certain. He loves you and it tore him up having to do what he did, he'll be glad that none of it was true. And he'll probably be punishing himself for what he did do." 

Charlotte was absently rubbing her stomach as he spoke and she winced as a slight twinge went through her. "Are you alright?" Evy asked her instantly, watching her face carefully. 

"I'm fine, just backache," Charlotte said, wriggling until she was in a more comfortable position on the sofa. 

"Are you sure?" Evy asked again, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. "That was how my labour started." 

Charlotte looked up at Evy in shock. "Really? You don't think...?" 

The older woman nodded. "Could be. You just let me know if you get any more pains, okay?" 

"Okay," Charlotte agreed, focusing more now on what her body was telling her. She couldn't be sure if Evy was right, but something about this day certainly felt different. She was suddenly glad that Evy had insisted on her staying there with them in her last couple of months, because she would hate to be alone. 

A few hours later Jonathan helped her up the stairs to her room, his face creased up with concern as she panted through yet another ripping pain. "Oh, God, no-one tells you how painful this is," Charlotte moaned as they reached her door. Evy came up behind her and chuckled. 

"No, they don't, because if they did no-one would ever have children!" she said, ushering her into the room and then helping her onto the bed. "Jonathan, go and call the doctor out and I'll get her undressed and into something else." 

Jonathan rushed to do her bidding, closing the door quietly behind him. Evy looked at her cousin and stroked the hair from her face. "I know it hurts, but it will all be worth it, I promise you," she said, smiling gently. 

"I know," Charlotte said, grimacing as another pain tightened her belly. "But it doesn't feel that way right now!" 

Evy chuckled and got a night-gown out of the drawer for her. "I remember vividly how it feels, so you have my sympathy!" 

"How long does it take?" 

Evy shook her head. "It varies from person to person. It could be hours, it could even be days, sorry about that. All we can do is wait." 

And so they did wait, for several more hours and well into the night. The doctor came and was attending Charlotte, with the help of his nurse, telling them that everything was perfectly alright and they had to just let things run their course. 

Evy and the others were sitting downstairs having a cup of tea as the sun started to rise, leaving Charlotte briefly in the capable hands of the elderly doctor who had treated her when she had first come back from Egypt. Her labour was a long one, and the doctor was becoming concerned at the amount of time it was taking. 

Evy sipped her tea and looked blearily up as the doorbell chimed, it's ringing echoing throughout the lower floor of the house. 

Knowing the housekeeper was in bed having a well earned sleep, she got up and went to open it herself, Rick following her. "Ardeth!" Evy gasped out as the door was opened and he stood silhouetted against the rising sun. 

"Evelyn, O'Connell," he nodded to them both. "I am glad to see you again." 

"We're glad to see you, we thought you were dying the last time we saw you! Khalid sent word that you were recovering, but that was about four months ago. What took you so long?" 

"My wounds were worse than we thought and I had much work to do, therefore I could not come sooner, although I wanted to. My friends, I must find your cousin," he said urgently, unable to stop himself from voicing the one reason he was actually there. "I had to come here first because I do not know where her home is." 

"Well, that's fortunate, because she's right here," Rick said, patting Ardeth on the shoulder and wondering how to explain the fact that they hadn't sent word about her condition. Still it was a little late now. 

"Where? I must speak with her, explain what happened. She is well?" 

"She's...er...Ardeth, there's something we should have told you..." Evy began, but the cry of distress that echoed from upstairs stopped them all, their eyes turning to the upper landing. 

"That is Charlotte! What's going on?" 

"I think you'd better come and see," Evy said, taking his hand and rushing up the stairs with him. 

When they burst into the room the doctor looked around and frowned at the newcomer. "You can't be in here right now! Who is this man?" 

"It's alright, this is her husband," Evy explained, watching as Ardeth stood frozen with shock in the doorway. 

Charlotte was no less shocked, seeing Ardeth standing there in the room with her, when she had thought she'd never see him again, that he'd never want to see her again. She had time to widen her eyes and then another pain hit her and she screwed her face up and groaned, holding onto the nurse's hand as the contraction ripped through her abdomen. 

"Why did nobody tell me?" Ardeth demanded, marching to the bed and taking Charlotte's hand from the nurses, stroking her fingers lightly. 

"I told them not to!" Charlotte groaned out, panting. "What are you doing here?" 

"I came to claim you and take you back with me," Ardeth said, staring with concern at her pain filled eyes. 

"I can't go anywhere right now...ooooh!" 

Ardeth held her hand tightly, wincing when she almost broke the bones in it with the force of her grip. The doctor looked up, his frown still in place. "You can't stay in here, Sir, you'll have to go downstairs and wait." 

"I am going nowhere," Ardeth said firmly, fixing the doctor with an angry look. The doctor raised his eyebrows and glanced at Evy, who merely shrugged and smiled, leaving the room. 

Ardeth lifted Charlotte's hand to his mouth and kissed it tenderly as the pain diminished, laying her open palm on his cheek. "Forgive me, my lady," he whispered, all his guilt and anguish raw in his voice. 

"It wasn't your fault. Evy explained about the spell," Charlotte said, relaxing at last as the pain disappeared entirely. 

"Why did you not want me to know about the child?" 

"No-one had heard from you for months, I didn't think you wanted to see any of us," she explained. 

"I was injured Charlotte, it took me many months to recover my strength. It is only now that I have been in full fitness, able to travel. Had I known of the child, I would have been here sooner, despite my injuries. Had I known how much I would miss seeing you, I would have travelled sooner as well. Unfortunately, my people would not allow me to leave the village," he said, smiling as he remembered the times he had tried to get ready to travel, and had been stopped by his mother, his aunts, the warriors and even, on occasion, the elders. 

"You should have sent word, my lady, because then they would have assisted me in getting here, so that we could perform the ceremony." 

"What ceremony?" 

"Our marriage ceremony, of course." 

"Hold on a moment, I thought I heard Mrs O'Connell say you were the husband? If you're not the husband then you have no right being in here!" The doctor interrupted, looking indignant. 

Ardeth gave him a hard look. "This is my wife, doctor, make no mistake. Our customs are a little different from yours." 

"Obviously," the doctor said disapprovingly. 

Charlotte saw the spark of anger ignite in Ardeth's eyes, but she placed a hand over his arm, preventing him from saying anything else. "It's alright." She grimaced as another pain made itself felt and prepared herself to work through it. This time it was different, however, in that she got an almost overwhelming urge to push. She grunted as she bore down and the doctor immediately checked her out. 

"You need to push? Good, you're ready. Now, tuck your chin into your chest and push down. That's it...good...ok, take a deep breath," the doctor instructed her. 

Charlotte couldn't believe how strong the urge was, her whole body taking over and trying to expel the child inside her. It was almost a relief to have something to do after the fierce pains that just had to be endured. This actually felt like she was working towards the birth, instead of just having it happen to her. 

"On your next pain, I want you to push again, take a breath and push again before the contraction is finished, alright?" 

Charlotte nodded. "Oh, oh, it's coming again," she puffed, grabbing Ardeth's hand and squeezing. 

Ardeth felt worn out himself after another couple of hours of the same routine. It didn't seem that they were any nearer actually seeing the baby though. "Is this normal? Surely the child should have come by now?" 

The doctor smiled and shook his head. "This is perfectly normal. This stage of childbirth can last for some hours, but it won't be much longer for this young lady now." 

On the next push the doctor was pleased to see the child's head crowning, and he allowed Ardeth to take a look. Another push and the entire head appeared, looking alarmingly purple and wrinkled to Ardeth's eyes. In no time at all it was all over and the doctor quickly and efficiently dealt with the umbilical cord and the baby's breathing, handing the small body to the nurse to clean up and wrap in a blanket. 

Charlotte watched anxiously as they worked on the baby, holding onto Ardeth's hand still. "Is everything alright? Is the baby okay?" she asked, worried that she had heard no crying. Then a sharp cry split the air and the nurse turned to her, beaming as she held the tiny dark-haired baby in her arms. 

"Everything's fine, my dear. You have a healthy baby boy," she said, handing the baby to Charlotte. 

Charlotte stared down at the perfect little face and started crying, aware that Ardeth had put his arm around her and drawn her against him. His hand reached out and traced the tiny face with something akin to amazement on his own face. 

"You have given me a son, my lady. I thank you," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips. "I love you." 

"I love you, too," Charlotte said, still crying as she looked at what she had. She had thought she had nothing when she returned form Egypt, now here she was with the man she loved and a beautiful baby boy, who even now looked as though he would be the spitting image of Ardeth. 

A knock at the door sounded and the nurse quickly arranged the bedclothes so Charlotte was decent to receive guests. Evy, Rick and Jonathan burst into the room, huge smiles on their faces as they took in the picture Charlotte and the baby made, wrapped as they were in Ardeth's arms. 

"Well?" Evy asked excitedly, moving to the bed and touching the baby's cheek softly with her finger. 

"I have a son," Ardeth said proudly, his eyes glistening suspiciously. 

"Congratulations, buddy," Rick said, grabbing Ardeth's hand and shaking it with enthusiasm as he looked at the baby. "I must say you chose your moment perfectly." 

"My moment?" Ardeth said, still looking slightly stunned. 

"Yeah, to come and find Charlotte," Rick explained, grinning broadly. "Bet you never expected any of this huh?" 

Ardeth shook his head and looked at his wife and child, a smile curving his full lips. "No, but I have so much happiness inside me now. It is more than I had ever hoped for." 

Charlotte looked up at him as he spoke and smiled as well, unable to believe all the changes that had occurred over the course of one day. "I didn't think you'd come," she said softly. 

Ardeth stroked a finger down the side of her face. "I would not have stayed away forever, my love. Had I been well I would have followed you back to England the day you left. I love you, I could never give you up." 

Evy looked from one of them to the other. "So what happens now?" 

"Charlotte will return with me and we will perform our wedding ceremony," Ardeth said immediately, then looked back at her. "If you are willing?" 

"I am...but, what about your people? Will they accept me?" Charlotte asked, worried that even now people would still blame her for everything. 

Ardeth frowned, knowing exactly why she felt that way and hating it. "They know the truth now, they do not blame you for what happened, they know where the fault really lies. Aslar and the Professor are dead and so justice has been served. They all want you to return and take your rightful place as wife of the leader." He gave a slow smile that sent her pulse racing. "They have even made clothing for you for the ceremony, and other little baubles to show you that you are valued amongst my people. You must return with me, my lady." 

"Really? Then they...they want me to come back?" 

"Yes, they do. But not as much as I do. Without you, my life is over," he said, lifting her hand to kiss it softly, his eyes so full of love that it almost hurt to look into them. 

"I'll come back," she whispered, smiling shyly at him as she held their son. She looked down as the tiny infant gave a lusty cry, it's head turning towards her as it searched for food. A thought occurred to her and she looked back at the man she loved. "Ardeth, what are we going to name him?" 

He smiled as he touched his son's face. "He will be named as all the Bay sons have been. Ardeth," he said, looking impossibly arrogant. 

"All the men have been called Ardeth?" Charlotte asked. 

"Yes, from my great-great-grandfather to me, and now my son. His other names will be up to you," he told her, leaning in to kiss her gently. 

"What about...Ardeth Jonathan Richard Bay?" she said, smiling as the other men in the room puffed their chests out proudly. 

"That sounds marvellous to me," Jonathan said happily. 

"I bet it does. How come your name comes before mine?" Rick asked, glaring at him. 

"Because I'm a blood relation, that's why," the thinner man said, lifting his chin and giving a smile. 

"Huh, that's no excuse," Rick continued, thinning his lips. 

Evy slapped them both on the arm and pushed them towards the door. "Out, now, both of you. Charlotte has to feed the baby and get some rest, and she can't very well do that with us lot in here." She looked back at the bed as she reached the door. "I'll send Billy in when he wakes up." She smiled as the doctor and nurse followed them, having packed all their equipment up. The doctor said he'd be back to check on them in a few days and then he left. 

Charlotte nodded and waited until Evy and the others had left the room, only then pulling the top of her night-gown down and attempting to feed the baby. It was a little tricky at first, but little Ardeth latched on and started suckling strongly at her, making her gasp at the odd sensation. 

"I have never seen anything so beautiful," Ardeth said as he held her, his eyes frankly fascinated at the sight of his tiny baby feeding from her breast. "We must have many more of these." 

Charlotte laughed tiredly. "Yes, we must. I just hope I'll have forgotten by then how much it hurts." 

"I will help you forget," Ardeth promised her, kissing the top of her head as he rested his cheek on her hair. He smiled as he felt her relax against him, happy now after so long being apart. He had his whole world in his arms, and he vowed he would never be foolish enough to let it go again. 

**THE END**

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_****Okay, all done. I hope the ending wasn't a little too hurried for you, and I hope you enjoyed it. Especially Deana, who manages to read and review my stories about ten minutes after I've posted them! Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Now, onwards and upwards....another story is beckoning....a sequel to my other one. Hmmm....we shall see!****_


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